The Mute Kunoichi
by Horror's Bride
Summary: Ninjas are suppose to be silent killers, but the Bokuso-chi, a powerful clan of mutes, have no choice. After the death of their rivals, the Uchiha, they mask their abilities in order to not be singled out. When their heiress is placed in the same squad as the heir of Uchiha and a jinguriki, she's placed in situations to show her power; it catches attention.(Sakura replacement)AUish
1. Yuyake Bokuso-chi

**Chapter 1: Yuyake Bokuso-chi**

Yuyake has only won a hand full of battles with her mom when it comes to her upbringing, and her freedom to go to ninja academy is the best one.

Like most clan heirs and heiress, she is...'blessed' with new material 24/7 to study. And she really does mean all day everyday. And it's not fun stuff anymore, it's all just reading.

At least before she got to do cool Jutsu... but when she sped through those lessons in order to grant herself more free time, they eventually had no more to teach her. Heck, if they had told her then that they didn't expect her to use half of it ever again, she might have taken her time to enjoy and savor it at least.

But no.

No one said squat till she had learned all they had to offer, and they just moved on like it didn't freakin' matter! Then the books started...

Oh dear goodness the books.

Yuyake tried to speed through those too, but .don' .out!

If it's not about how to cover up your farts and burps, it's about that one time everyone thought it was a big deal that the Uchiha clan out-dressed the Bokuso-chi. Like seriously? And don't get her started on clan history!

Yuayke is almost 100% certain that the Bokuso-chi clan is the only one to have split into a combative and non combat clan, and she has to visit the other half on top of that?

What she's trying to say is that between the two halves of her clan, the bs that was going on with her clan and the Uchiha when they were alive, AND the crazy expectations of her mannerisms, It feels like she's read enough to quench her thirst for knowledge a million times over.

But that's where Ninja academy comes in.

Heirs and heiresses don't usually attend academy with the other kids. Usually they're shut in and...'prepared' till their eye balls fall out, but Yuyake actually convinced her mother to let her go.

It involved a 3 paged paper on how connections allowed to occur naturally are stronger than planned ones, but she got it. So at the very least she is able to tear away from it all to go to academy and unwind and make friends like a normal person. Even if that isn't really how it's panning out. Even that is a relief. No one cares that she's an heiress! A lot of people actually thinks her muteness is a ploy to be an asshole.

Despite her skin tone making her stick out among the pale children of Konoha, most forget her existence entirely! And it's nice.

It's so nice.

Yuyake is grateful for the inch her mother has given her, and she often reminds herself not to attempt to take a mile.

Milk chocolate thumbs press into equally brown eyelids.

How can she even think of taking a mile when her mother has already lost so much?

Of course her mother's life is part of her studies. All the previous clan leaders are. Just about all of the woman's stories ended in either 'then he died too' or 'then they left her forever'.

And that's why the house is so empty now.

"Lady Bokuso-chi" Yuyake jumps lightly, turning and surveying the clan member bowing in the room's thresh hold. Hearing people speak in the compound always startles her from now and then, even if all the servants do it. Married in members couldn't be more than servants now.

"I apologize for interrupting your studies, but it is time for bed, your bath has been drawn," he clears the doorway, gesturing down the hall.

Yuyake gets to her feet and glides over to him, placing a tiny palm upon his blue hair to dismiss him. He stays put until she's secured herself in the bathroom on door down.

Bathing is a quiet ritual, the only sounds rising from the silence being the slosh of water rising and falling.

Exiting the steamy liquid, she dawns her simple night shirt and races herself down the hall to the large mattress that attempts to swallow her every night.

. . .

The Bokuso-chi ombre eyes did not skip her generation, they are just as luminous as everyone else's, but hers mimic the sunset, fading from the gold she inherited from her father to Orange she hijacked from her grandparents.

. . .

she watches the time tick by.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

The sun beckon's Yuyake from her dreams, and she follows gracefully.

The memory of drifting off doesn't come to the teen.

Scooting to the closest edge, Yuyake lands on the ground and starts running around for her materials for the day. Her ninja pouch is on her desk, slides down the line of dressers and picks one at random to pull her signature short body suit. A quick pat down of the hair and a quick addition of her shoes and fingerless gloves, and she's off!

She speeds down the hall, skidding at it's end to shoot to the kitchen.

There, servants are making breakfast breakfast, but she just snatches up the sliced apples and the lunch they made her and heads out.

"Wait! Lady Bokuso-chi! You need more than... I don't know why I bother" a lady shrugs, turning back to her meal prep.

Sprinting down the quiet streets of the compound, Yuyake barely registers the glimpses of family's enjoying the morning that pass through her peripherals. bursting through the concrete arch, the hustle and bustle of the village slowly fades into ear shot, but she's not interested in any of that.

No, there's someone very specific she's interested.

A yawn rips through Shikamaru's throat as soon as he sits up.

"Why does it seem like I just wakes up more tired everyday? Mom nagged that it may be because I sleep to much, but that simply isn't possible..."a yawn rattles him once again.

If anything, he doesn't sleep enough...

The sun caresses the features of his room, bringing him a tranquility he only gets every once and a while.

Oh look! A butterfly.

It flutters about on wings forged from oceans.

"Don't tell me I slept with that window? It's a good thing it wasn't cold last night else I might have gotten up with a cold too, what a drag," he takes up his hair tie at his bedside, pushing his tamable locks into his well known point tail.

"Well... I guess I better get up before- _!_ " He hacks hard.

What the hell, did that stupid butterfly go down his throat!?

He pounds on his chest, the object rising as well as tiny tears in his eye's corners.

!

It pops out.

. . .

. .

.

Is that an apple slice?

"Alright, where are you?" he sways his head and he finds the trouble maker curled into herself besides his bed.

"Yuyake!" He flings the covers out his way and shoves his foot into her side. "You could have killed me! Are you insane!?" his kicks lack the necessary force to stop her fit.

"Somehow you're even more troublesome than girls who can nag me to death," he grumbles; here he is thinking that her whole 'brain can't connect syllables to lip movements' bullshit would make her bearable.

He is dead wrong, apparently.

Yuyake finally slows her hysterical laughter. sits her simple self up.

giving a thumbs up to the victim, Shikamaru rolls his eyes, "Yeah, I'm ok, no thanks to you at all," he get out of bed, and Yuyake looks from his grey T-shirt to his... duck boxers? Just as soon as her eyes dropped, the brainiac flings the duvet back over his lower half. Shit! He'd forgotten that he's on his last pair of undies.

. . .

Shikamaru is really hoping he was fast enough and that she saw nothing. Maybe if he doesn't react she'll drop it...?

 _pffft!_

Of course not.

She's back on the floor dying in silence and the Nara just rubs his forehead. Is this really how they're starting the last day of academy? He reveals his duck shorts once more and he stands confidently, but he's not fooling the dark laughing mess on the floor. The light blush upon his cheeks rats him out on his embarrassment.

"Whatever," He steps over her and starts getting ready. Starting with his pants. "I can't believe I actually hang with you," he mumbles.

He dawns his usual attire of grey washed greens and fishnets.

"You got any more apple slices? Preferably some you wont throw down my throat while I'm talking," he had to admit, the one he chocked on actually tasted pretty good.

She gives him a wink and a finger gun before pulling out her plastic bag and offering it to him.

"Thanks," he stops at the top of the steps, "Yuya's here! Mom make sure Dad has his pants on!" he calls down the steps before they descend. They see a large figure scurry out of sight.

"That must be dad," The boy sits down at the table followed by his unwelcomed guess.

At breakfast, the head of the house hold take up a familiar conversation, "You know..." and both heiress and son groan inwardly.

Here he goes again.

"You two would should seriously think about turning this friendship you got going on into something special," he starts back up his age old argument.

"Yuyake is a pretty and quiet, and she comes from a prestigious family, You two are clearly close and-" Shika asks the heavens to forgive him.

"No. For the last time, I;m not dating her for status and she's not my type anyway, just look at her! Her hair is too long and personally I prefer girls who dress in lighter colors," Shikamaru puts up the defense.

Yuyake had been nodding along in agreement until he started dissing her fashion. How dare he! Her hair is a beautiful length!

 _slap!_

Shika-mom steps in with a hand to her son's head, "Don't disrespect a woman at my table! Especially when she's sitting at it!" she chastises, and Yuyake pokes her tongue out tauntingly. Ha! Serves him right.

"But she's not a girl! She's... look at her!" he leads all attention to the girl, and Yuyake puts on the most hurt expression she can muster, earning the boy another _thk!_ hit from his mother.

"What did I just say!?"

"Ok, I think I'm done eating now, I'll be heading to class, come on Yuyake," he pinches his nose's bridge, opening the door for the nuisance to avoid another lecture about chivalry.

When they're out on the streets, Shika narrows his eyes at her. "Using my mom against me, low blow," but her brilliant smile doesn't seem to falter.

"So, it's the last day, anyone in particular you want to say good buy to?" he asks, but he's answered with an expression that questions his authenticity. A smirk spreads upon his lips, "Oh yeah! You don't have any friends," he feigns forgetfulness, and it earns him a shove from the dark skinned kunoichi. When he straightens up he sees her arms crossed and nose to the air.

"After all you did today, you're turning your nose up at me?" he raised a brow. The nerve! She is, by far, his most exhausting friend. Disability or not.

 **~X~**

The mute plops down besides her homie, and gives him all of her attention., and he allows her for a while, but at some point he loses his patience.

"Stop it, the sunset eyes may be cool, but they become ominous when you do that," he rests his chin upon his folded arms.

Grinning brightly, the girl turns forward to ignore the lesson properly.

She's almost dozing off her herself when she hears those signature soft snores coming from besides her.

Now she may ignore her lessons, but she does not sleep on them, then is her only time away from the books! She picks up a pencil and starts doodling some insignificant things. Oh, look at that, she drew a bat.

She looks at all her drawing/writing utensils, and she has to admit, until now, not once did she ever consider her army of 10 writing utensil to be too much. huh...

...

She kind of wonders if she can fit them all in Shika's ponytail.

...

..

Only one way to find out.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

Ok!

She's at 5... she appropriated Shika's two pencil's and kindly asked Hinata for her 3 to give her a grand total of 15 to try to fit, and she's a third of the way there. She believes in herself!

"I'm at the end of my Rope, Naruto."

The small kunoichi-in training looks up in time to catch Iruka's scornful glare accompanied by a disapprovingly folded pair of arms. Yeesh, she'd hate to be on the receiving end of that. Yuya moves her eyes from the irritated teacher to the accused student. It is that blond boy with the whisker-like prints on his face.

Naruto is it?

The heiress finds herself scrunching up her face more and more as the teach scolds him by bringing forth his past failures infront of an audience. Ugh. She can't say she's impressed. It;s always been a pet peeve of hers for someone to throw one's past in their face like that.

Why is Iruka calling Naruto out like that? Doesn't the kid get picked on enough without the bullies having more ammo?

Though Yuya supposes that isn't her business; her current task is beside her. A hand grasps another pencil before it proceeds to tangle it in a boy's dark ponytail.

Brilliant ombre eyes that fade from orange to gold are concentrated on the pony tail of spikes at her mercy.

A pencil lightly scrapes the boy's stilled shoulder.

 _Twitch_.

Yuyake freezes up.

. . .

Her favorite victim calms once more, and she continues. Tilting her head for a better angle, She jumps when something black moves in the corner of her eye.

What is that?

She looks around.

Oh, it's just her hair... She pushes the follicles behind her and shivers slightly when they brush the small of her back. Hopefully it wouldn't scare her again.

"Fine! Cause you missed it, Naruto, everyone will review the transformation jutsu!" There was a chorus of whines as Iruka announces his verdict and points to the students as if they are the ones skipping class. the girl looks around at her classmates, but didn't whine, or make any sound of disapproval for that matter. Instead, she pokes the sleeping boy to wake him. Only he doesn't budge.

Poke…

Poke…

. . . **Bite!**

"OUCH!" The boy shoots up and holds his offended shoulder. "What the-," he whips around to face the girl, "Yuyake! Why you- What did you do that for?!" he glares at her, his frustration so hot he can't decide what to yell at her, but it's just as short lived as it is tempered. His scowl calms to a simple frown as he folds his arms behind his head.

What is with her today?

Part of him wonders if it has to do with today being their last. Maybe she's more fearful of the change than she's letting on.

He surveys for any signs of his theory, but all he sees right now is gleeful grin her her brown digit pointing down to where the other students are lining up.

"A review? Jeeze, you could've just, called my name or something," he slurs his words with a yawn and an eye rub. Standing up, he looks to Yuyake who has her eyebrows turn downward in a look of distaste.

"Oh yeah, you're a mute, forgot," he gives a smirk. And Yuyake turns her noes to the air indignantly at the crude joke.

"Come on, Shikamaru," a larger boy calls up to them.

Shikamaru gives another yawn, "I'm coming, Choji. Jeeze, reviews are such a drag," Shika makes his way down the stairs with Yuyake in his shadow. The mute Kunoichi gets in line with the others and waits her turn.

It isn't long before the reason for the review is center stage,"Naruto Uzumaki," Iruka beckons.

"We always pay for you mistakes, Naruto," Shikamaru grumbles, none too happy about waking up from his nap. He was having a good dream!

"Like I care," Naruto steps forth, forming a sign to mold his Chakra. Meanwhile, Yuyake busies herself with her hair, braiding a lock and unbraiding it, mindlessly staring at who ever is in the hot-seat at the moment.

That is, until the view of a naked woman's butt is suddenly in her sight. Yuyake jumps lightly and darts her sunset gaze away, a light red on her cheeks. Caught staring at a girl's butt, how do the heiress-in-training books say how to recover from this!?

"Cut the stupid tricks! This is your last warning!"The mute girl holds her ears. Ow. Man Iruka is loud!

She has never heard him yell like that! Though, Naruto doesn't seem to be phased.

The teacher sighs. "That's all for today, class is dismissed and prepare for your exam," The teacher pinches the bridge of his nose in a failing effort to relieve the stress of his work day.

Yuyake stands from the desk she's sitting on just as Shikamaru walks pass her.

"Want to go cloud watching with me, Yuya?"Shikamaru finds her with his eyes. He always found it interesting how her eyes resembled the scene of a sunset, minus the blues and pinks.

They are pretty cool.

As he's told his father a million times, he doesn't have a thing for the girl;Though Yuya is easier to hang with than most. Probably because she can't talk, she can't nag him like his mom.

Whatever it was, it made her less troublesome.

Yuyake answers with a smile and nods.

Shikamaru leads the female friend to their usual spot where he immediately lays down on his back, opening his body up for the sky to observe him as he does it.

The small girl comes to sit beside him and cranes her neck to watch the large white fluffs drag across the sky. She smiles. This was nice; she hopes Shikamaru would be on her team, so they could continue to do these things.

"..."

Silence consumes them, until, Shikamaru speaks up.

"Are you worried that we won't hang out as much after we get assigned to teams?" he slides his gaze to her.

Truthful with herself, Yuyake nods, and something about the honesty makes the boy grin.

"Don't be,"

 **~X~**

"The final exam will be on the Cloning jutsu." Iruka announces to the class.

This employs Yuyake's eyes to search for Naruto, and when she finds him, he is falling to pieces. She gives an inaudible giggle. Too bad Naruto isn't her, because she has this in the bag.

"Wait till your name is called then proceed to the testing room," Iruka speaks confidently to his students. They'll make it. All of them. He believes that. And so it begins.

"First up, Yuyake Bokuso-chi," Of course she is first, the down side of having a last name that begins with 'B'. She stands up.

"You go, Yuya!"

Yuyake nods gratefully to Choji. So nice of him to support the friend of a friend! She's kind of happy that Iruka managed to skip over the chip lover's name, she prefers to go first to get it taken care of! she makes follows her teacher outside the room, brushing her swayed bangs out her eyes so that she may focus.

Mean while Iruka thinks how surprising it was for the brown skinned child to not have stuck out more this entire time. Her skin and eyes already did it a bit for her,all she needed was to show the slightest bit of prowess, and yet she didn't. No, the girl besides him is the master of bare minimum.

He often worries if she's holding back...

There have been quite a few times where he caught a conflicted countenance upon those innocent features. And don't get him started on the times she would aim at a target perfectly, but just as he was about to call attention to it to praise her, she'd adjust to be off by a little.

He saw her wandering gaze in class all the time, she was never there for the lesson, yet somehow she always passes? Clearly she is getting training outside the academy.

Well, what ever it is, he hopes that it dies when she enters her team.

Iruka opens the door for Yuyake who smiles thankfully to him and enters

The instructor sits down behind the desk with Mizuki. "Ok, you may begin"

The sunset-eyed girl releases a quiet breath and weaves her hand signs. The chakra she summons is rambunctious and bullies her hair into her eyes, but she tames it. Owns it. She forces it to do her bidding. She constructs a cloud, and behind its cover, commands her remaining Chakra into an image of her likeness.

The cloud clears, and she allows her teachers to marvel at her handy work.

Iruka smiles. He knew she could do it. "Thank you, you've passed. Here's your official leaf head band, Yuyake, you will receive your squad at orientation," Mizuki states with an equally kind smile.

Yuyake walks over and takes the headband. Allowing it to rest on the black material of her fingerless glove, Yuyake contemplates life, and it's meaning, before quickly realizing she's suppose to be thinking of where to wear her little head band...

She looks at it for a moment longer…

she'll figure out later.

Shoving it into the pocket of her short body suit, the newly made Kunoichi walks out the room, and Iruka follows to call out the next name.

Yuyake sat beside a sleeping Nara, prepared to be the alarm clock that bites him when his turn comes up.

 **~X~**

After graduation, all the kids meet with their parents outside. All except 3: Naruto, Sasuke, and Yuyake. Her mom is probably at a meeting or something equally.

Besides, it might been weird if people see Her and her mom just staring at each other.

Yuyake sees everyone talking, and her ears pick up slanders of the orange ball of energy. she glances over at Naruto, who has an expression that can make any heart ache. Unless you are the girl's at this school, and you have no heart.

He must feel so lonely...

She walks over to him, approaching from behind, and places a gentle hand on his back.

Naruto jumps slightly, looking back at her with a confused expression to which Yuyake gives a simple smile.

Meanwhile a group of girls, whom stand nearby, could be easily heard as they watch the two interact. They spit words that evaporate into a venomness vapor and it tries to sting them both, but Yuyake fends it off and blocks Naruto from its side effects.

No one needs to feel terrible about themselves.

The blonde's face is full of discontent as he looks from Yuyake to the group.

Too bad she can't stay; she has to get home. Yuya flings her arms around the boy and squeezes before dashing off.

Quietly, she makes her way through the streets of Konoha, wondering if her mom has made anything for dinner. her eyes glaze over as her mouth waters at the idea. Her stomach roars at her fantasies, not too happy with the temptation, and Yuyake shakes her head at the organ.

She dances her way through the concrete entrance; its paintings of vines and roses done in shimmering gold. The horizontal rumbas with the symbol for "Mind" is familiar. Her clan's insignia.

Upon entering the area, it's like a ghost town. Outsiders don't really come into the Bokuso-chi compound; its silence is comically known to bring some to the brink of insanity, but Yuyake likes it.

She makes her way to the heart of the compound where the Bokuso-chi mansion resides. It's large and beautiful with grey roofs. She enters, stepping out her shoes and walking further in.

Ok, she can admit it is a little too quiet in here in the recent years.

Her mother peaks in the doorway and smiles. Being a natural born Bokuso-chi, she too is a mute. The young looking woman is tall with black wavy hair and eyes that faded from purple to blue.

Yuyake's face lights up. She believes her mom to be so pretty! With such defined curves and features; She often wonders if she will ever reach such levels of luscious beauty. Sure, the woman assures her daughter that growing up, she was a late bloomer, but that is hard to corroborate with all Yuyake's mom's photos being taken in lavender robes thicker than the one she wears daily.

Yuyake runs her hands over her board like body, looking for any hint of new curves.

Nothing.

It's so unfair, all the other girls have a little bumps on their chest and a dip in their waists! But she has zip! Nada!

Her mother's voice enters her mind.

Yes, her mother's a mute with a voice.

 _"Welcome home sweetie! How was school?"_

Yuyake watches as her mother's lips stay still with every word. After giving a confident thumbs up, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out her headband, showing it to her mom. The woman gives a gushing smile.

 _"Oh! Mommy's so proud of her cute little Sunset! I knew you could do it!"_ Yuyake's mom seizes her in a hug.

The girl cuddles back. At least she has her mother.

 _" Your father would have been so proud," _Sadness dances in her mother's melodic voice.

Yuyake's grasp on her mother tightens. She tries, but when images of all five of them as a family flash before her eyes, her vision blurs, she stops the tears from falling, but it's an uphill battle.

Her mother pats her daughter's hair down to comfort her, _" There, there…I miss them too."_

Silence…

Until Yuyake frowns through her anguish, and bites her mother's shoulder _"OW! Yuyake!?"_ She jumps back from her daughter who furiously rubs at her own face. She hates getting sad about their absences; it makes the heiress feel ungrateful.

Her mom gives her a pouting frown before she goes and bites into her daughter's shoulder.

Yuyake jumps back and glares unheard words at her mother.

 _"Anyway, before you so rudely interrupted me. You'll be receiving a team soon at your orientation and you'll need a means of communicating, so congrats! You're going to learn how to talk."_

The chocolate girl sheepishly looks at her mother, giving a fake smile.

A vein on her mom's forehead bulges _. "Jeeze! You could at least pretend to be excited!" _She huffs and crosses her arms.

Yuyake truthfully smiles. Her mother is acting more like a child than her.

Her mother ventures deeper into the home and the heiress inhabits her shadow.

 _"I'm sure you remember from your studies that we branched off from the yamanaka and learned how to speed up and slow down our brainwaves with chakra in order to match brainwave frequencies to talk to others, right? And that that member combined with someone from a none combative, wealthy clan and caused said clan to split, etc. etc., the other half of the clan is in the village hidden in the clouds aaaaaand You're gonna learn how to speak! "_ The clan leader cuts to the chase, knowing full well what all her studies cover and not wanting to further bore her.

Yuyake nods as the brief overview digs up 'The Beginning of Telepathic mutes and how we learn to speak'. It is an interesting read, to think that being mute is what allows them to grasp the ability flawlessly! It's also nice considering she doesn't have to read three versions of it unlike other topics.

She also finds the ability to alter one's brainwaves and sense existing ones fascinating.

Pulling out a key, her mother unlocks a hidden door and leads them into a square room with no windows. The walls are marble white and the flooring is gray. In the center is a sunken rectangle filled to the brim with a black liquid that crashed against the pool's sides, but when a drop splashes up, it's yanked into an identical rectangle built into the ceiling. Greyish-blue based tapestries of the clan insignia were on each walls.

 _" Sit. This room blocks out all other brainwaves, this way you're not over whelmed on your first few tries." _Her mother informs, sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat across from her daughter.

 _"Are you ready? Good. First, start by concentrating. " _And so it begins.

There isn't much Yuyake would tell anyone if they asked her about her training. Only one thing comes to mind, in fact; one place: The realm of waves.

Her mother asks Yuya to imagine a place of blackness. A place of liquid and air but where they merge seamlessly to create an endless void. Of course, Yuyake is meant to imagine herself in the inky waves with only her head above water.

 _"This place you've created in your mind, this place that I've told you to create, actually exists,"_ her mother explains. _" You are currently in a fake version, while I occupy the real one," _Yuyake can hear her mother release a fulfilling breath. Slowly. Calmly. _"It is called by plenty of names, so feel free to name it as you see fit,"_ she adds on lightly.

 _" Now, you are going to try to reach the real one, now that you know what you are looking for, it should be much easier." _Yuyake does not nod at her mother's instructions, too deep in her meditative state to risk breaking it with such physical response. If the world she seeks now is identical to the one she currently inhabits, how will she know she's made it?

 _"Don't worry, sweety, You'll know, there is one distinct difference between your world and the fake."_ her mother assures her unasked thoughts.

.

.

.

Yuyake is uncertain how long she is like this; slowed breathing and rigid posture. time can be moving slower since she isn't doing anything. Or faster because she is focusing so much. All she's certain about is that she is making absolutely no progress.

Nothing has changed since she started, and it doesn't feel like anything is going to change soon. It also doesn't help that yuya is starting to drift into other thoughts like what if she never gets it? How will she communicate with her team then? She supposes it isn't impossible, the technique takes years to get anyway, so surely during the training time, bokuso-chi find other ways to communicate, right?

She certainly hopes so, else she is fucked.

 _"You need to focus, " _Her mother enters her mind.

Yuyake can barely feel the warmth radiating off the woman. According to the location, she moved to be behind Yuyake, when did that happen?

Suddenly, Yuya feels cold hands cup over her ears and something trickles into her. It's creepy at first, because Yuya hears nothing but the whispers her mother's chakra makes, but it quickly melts to a high pitched ringing that centers Yuyake and her thoughts.

 _CLICK!_

It's sudden, the way Yuyake's false world hardens into reality. She only feels the difference rather than sees it.

 _Drip!_

She believes it's above her, direction not being easy to discern in this place. But it's a drop of shimmering white that compares to her in size, and it splashes in the black sea directly behind her.

It's force waves only identified by their peaks of shimmering white that lift and drop her. they chill the water to a deathly temperature and seem indifferent of the child they cradle, though they cradle her nonetheless.

 _"Do you see it?"_

Yuyake can only nod, because she does.


	2. Those we meet

**A/N: I HAVE EDITED THIS CHAPTER FOR THE LAST TIME 1/10/2018**

 **~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x**

"Talking"

 _"Thoughts" and sound effects_

 _"Telepathic speech,"_

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **PREVIOUSLY:**

She believes it's above her, direction not being easy to discern in this place. But it's a drop of shimmering white that compares to her in size, and it splashes in the black sea directly behind her.

It's forceful waves only identified by their peaks of shimmering white that rise and drop her. they chill the water to a deathly temperature and seem indifferent of the child they cradle, though they cradle her nonetheless.

 _"Do you see it?"_

All Yuyake can do is nod, because she does.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 2: Those we Meet**

Yoru Bokuso-chi is deeply aware that she is a terrible parent. She's never been able to emotionally attach to anyone, not even her children or late husband, but at least they had each other for a while.

But now she's forced to put on this front so that Yuyake doesn't grow up feeling unloved, because no one deserves that. She knows though, eventually, Her daughter will be able to sense a person's intent in their brainwaves, and at some point after she accomplishes that, she'll stop being in denial and realize that her mother has never loved her.

What's even worse, She may also find out that Yoru does love someone, but that someone isn't her daughters or nephew.

A sigh leaves her.

" _Kishi, why did you have to leave me? You know we only married for the clan, and we agreed that when we had the heirs that you would take care of them emotionally..."_

 _PULSE!_

Wait a second... Is that Yuyake she's sensing? Is she still in bed!? Why didn't the servants wake her up?

Purple to Blue eyes roll exaggeratedly.

Don't tell her the servants' spouses are protesting again?

That was 6 years ago! Yoru made her choice! As clan leader, her members are expected to follow it!

She gets up from her intricate wood of her desk and heads for the kitchen. She supposes that she'll have to fix the child a lunch, that's what Kishi used to do before she allowed servants into the home.

At least her youngest child isn't too picky with foods. All she had to do is make a basic sandwich and put something sweet in there and boom- love in a bag.

There's another one of those protest notes on the counter top, she might have missed it against the creamy colored of granite, but she's used to finding them now.

Ugh...

Should she open it?

...

What ever.

She tears it open and glosses over the words. Yup, same old same old. a few 'You're going to destroy this clan' here and an expected 'Your sister would have done better' there, but there is a new insult that catches her attention.

'You may be fine with killing our children, but what will you do when your own babe is unable to use all her strength in battle and dies in your arms,'

Huh... Ok, that is the best point anyone has made in a while. Kishi wouldn't allow their child to die, right? That's what Good Parents do.

Besides, she isn't completely emotionless, the idea of any child dying because of her stupid order appalls her.

She didn't have to deal with this with her oldest, but Yuyake isn't as rebellious. She might actually die out there trying not to show her full strength in battle.

Hmmm...

Trashing the paper, Yoru ponders if she really should revoke the hold back letter. Children will die without her being blamed for it, and her servants will be back.

It's a win win.

But there's still the reason it was created in the first place...

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

" _YUYAKE WAKE UP! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR ORIENTATION!"_

Said heiress jolts up in bed.

What's happening!?

And what happened to her Dad pickle?

 _"You've woken up an hour late! You need to get moving!"_

...Information has been deposited

..Processing

.Processing

...Implementing response

She's going to be late!

She flings her covers off, making it to the bathroom before the bedding even settles, and she sets in to hyper gear. She brushes her face and washes her teeth, steps into her body suit, and sprints down the hall while working on her gloves.

Her feet barely make it inside her shoes before she exits.

Her mother stands there with a brilliant smile, holding out her lunch and Yuyake takes it, waving back at her.

 _"Knock 'em Dead sweety!"_

Her mother's voice sees her off.

The wind races her through the streets, but she zips past it. Why didn't Shikamaru come get her or something! That lazy bum should have known that she would have woken him up! So why didn't he come to see why she hadn't?

Well, whatever the reason, she is going to give the shadow wielder a piece of her mind!

Making a hard left, Yuyake notes that she's going to feel it in her ankles later and- _BAM!_

She holds her face.

Wow, Yuyake has ran into a few things in her life, but that really hurt. She rubs the pain from her mind just enough for her to notice what ever it is she crashed into is still blocking the sun from her.

Sunset eyes open and find the source of all this.

It's a being of undetermined gender, its large cloak of black and red clouds making it impossible, and then she sees it. Not the hair of deadly dark spikes, but the mask of orange that swirls to the only eye hole.

This stranger's shadow seems to grow colder, freezing the heiress in place uncharacteristically.

This person... There's something about him that rocks her confidence and devours her fighting spirit.

Their head tilts curiously, as if she's some trapped animal he's observing.

"Bokuso-chi," he speaks.

Her large eyes widen further. What? How did he know of the Bokuso-chi eye trait...? They've made it there business not to stick out, so how did he put together that the ombre trait is hereditary?!

He arches over her, further encasing her tiny frame in his murderous intent, and he reaches for her.

 _"No!"_

Something ignites in her, a will to survive! And her limbs thrash with the soul aim of putting distance between them. Her neck snaps side to side.

Where are the people?

It's a village so there should be people!

She knows she chose to abandon the populace today to cut time off her travel, but now such a foolish decision may hack years off her life. Her eyes find the man again. Why isn't he moving?

Does he have her surrounded? Is that why he's ok with letting her go?

She scrambles a pitiful foot away before gaining the strength to throw her being on top a near by roof. She looks back at the stranger to find him missing.

Brainwaves! Brainwaves! She can find him with brian waves!

She begrudgingly closes her eyes and enters her realm, but there is no safety there.

Only the realization that the monster is behind her.

But she doesn't run away, nor turns around to face him, but she just stands there while his brainwaves tap at her back trying to get her attention.

Waiting. **Knowing** he is there...

The Uchiha lineage is alive in the once empty eyehole and it represents the man's smirk. She knows he's here, doesn't she?

A gloved hand rests upon the silky curtain of the heiress, and the pressure forces a chill down her spine, but then, he's gone.

Yuyake releases more breath than she thinks she's holding, and the expulsion seems to remove something from her legs, causing them to drop her on her tush on the roof top.

Questions.

They're birthed in numbers that rival ants and buzz about like flies, she swats at them with answers but they're born quicker than she can kill them, quicker than she can reason with them.

Finally she pushes them away from her. There's too many, and there are just more coming.

She takes her time to herself.

. . .

 **~X~**

When Yuyake reaches the academy, all the seats are taken. Sure there's a large group of girls fighting over who-cares-what, but as Yuyake walks around the room, everywhere she thinks is an open seat, someone's stuff or a friend is there to say it's taken.

It's frustrating.

Oh! Is that a Seat? She makes her way toward it, though the closer she gets, the more she notices the angry cloud of girls is hovering around it.

Of course.

She can't just have a seat somewhere, there has to be a bunch of chicks who have their priorities jacked hanging around it.

Great.

Yuyake pauses in her strides, evaluating the seat's worth and comparing it to the trouble that comes with it.

Let's see... the seat is besides Sasuke, which meant she'll have to deal with fangirls, that seat is also probably why those girls are there... Yeah, this chairis seeming less and less worth it. Maybe if she waits, a place will open up?

Hopefully.

Yuyake walks around the classroom again, double checking that she has no other options, but nothing has changed. She supposes this is what she gets for coming late.

The mute girl dashes around the room 5 more times, but nothing opens up and that stupid girl issue still isn't resolved.

"What are you doing, Yuya?" Large sunset eyes pin to the dark ones of Shikamaru Nara. Her attention seems to make the boy jump, as if he's just seen a ghost. Yuyake frowns in confusion. While she knows she rushed out the house today, she was sure to wipe away all toothpaste from her face, so what has him so spooked?

"Whoa, are you ok? You look..." he searches the air for the next word, "Disturbed," he finishes and the choice just makes her raise an eyebrow.

Disturbed? What does he even mean by that? Her new expression seems to throw him for a loop.

"Hey, if nothing's wrong, forget I said anything," he backs down. Yuyake jumps inwardly, whoa he can see her distraught that easily? Is she that obvious? Or are they just really good friends?

She hopes it's the latter...

Shikamaru abandons her attention and that directs it to the pain building up in her legs.

Her eyebrows narrow in agitation.

Screw this!

The brown skinned girl pounces on the desk space besides Sasuke, and the thud that resounds hushes the group of girls and beckons their attention. Yuyake moves to stand behind the seat. There, she is tall and dominant, her large eyes narrow and on Sasuke, daring the Uchiha to deny her this seat.

This is his time to show her.

Up until this point she's avoided contact with him to avoid clan drama, but this is it.

Will he stay in the past like they're ancestors? or move forward with her?

Sasuke narrows his dark eyes at her.

Really, the Bokuso-chi wants to sit with him? of all people?

Though he supposes an enemy is better than the obsessed girls surrounding him.

"Do what you want, **Bokuso-chi** ,"

Sunset eyes narrow in disappointment.

Somehow he's chosen to do both.

She slides into the chair, and it's like she opens the gates to hell itself by doing so.

"What makes you think you can sit there! We were here first!"

"How dare you! I demand you get up!"

Ok, now Yuya can see how he chose ancient enemy over them. They're screaming is enough to trouble her hair, and that's impressive given the follicle's thickness.

"Sasuke! Tell her to get up!"

Oh neat, he's getting problems too.

Man, how does the Uchiha deal with them all the time? That level of patience should be rewarded... If only he wasn't such a jerk, then she would find a way to do so.

 _Twitch._

Yuyake's attention perks up.

Did Sasuke's brow just twitch?

A grin spreads upon her face.

Oh, so he doesn't handle it. Or at least not as well as she originally thought.

Ha!

"Hey! Are you Listening to me!"

Someone blares in Yuyake's ear, and her sensitive hear almost makes her tear up a little, but she's strong.

Releasing a breath, the brown skinned kunoichi decides completely ignoring them is probably her only means of peacefully getting them to fuck off. But she needs a distraction... Well, she can do some training, after all she can use the extra practice, she has a long way to go.

She shields her sunset eyes from the world, encasing herself in the realm of waves

 _DRIP!_

Mistake!

This is a mistake. All at once, the waves erupt as white frequencies as thin as pins and they distort Yuyake's mind and over run her thoughts. She can't focus on a set or on anything, for that matter.

It's too much!

It is. She's in this realm where she is suspended in water; the sky indistinguishable from the liquid darkness. The waves crash into her with strength beyond her own. They drag her under and banish her air, each one pushing her deeper, and she can't handle it. There are so many around her, there's no way she could differentiate them! She has to leave! She can't stay in this realm for much longer; she'll drown!

No.

A voice, resolved and hard, centers Yuayke's focus. It gives her a point a reference. It reaches down into the harsh waves and grabs her hand, pulling her to the surface. It allows her to catch her breath before contorting into an island she can hide on from the waves, and she is grateful.

She stands on it.

The ferocious waves of thought rally around her, smacking against her island, but they don't reach her. Even the largest currents can't make it to her. She stands, watching the waves naw at each other. Slower ones get lost beneath faster ones and more malicious ones try to sneak beneath her radar. She had to find a way to tell them apart...

 _"Focus harder and the brainwaves will gain color,"_

Yuyake's memories fetch the knowledge, bringing it to the forefront of her brain. Alright, now she needs to apply it.

Sweat slides down her temple as her effort is exerted, but the colors are lost to her. She curls in on herself, gripping her head, squeezing it, like she is trying to get something out. But it won't come! This has to be a mental thing! Something is holding her back. And she needs to conquer it!

Over power it!

Out wit it!

Control it!

 _"Come on! Come. on!"_ Yuyake summons strength to her side and cunning to her mind, but none of it works. No matter how she fights, she keeps being thrown back.

Why isn't this working?!

..!

Is that something wet? Yuyake can feel her island begin to flood. The waves crawl onto its surface, and tug at her body as they retreat.

And it's getting higher each time.

 _"No! No, no!"_ This isn't right, why can't she conquer this? Why can't she-

...

Maybe she isn't supposed to.

The waves retreat.

...

She isn't is she?

Yuyake stands back to her feet, and looks around her small perch. These waves, they are all physical representations of the thoughts of a person.

Why would she need to conquer someone else's thought?

Her thought is not better; it is not worthy of any more merit than the ones around her so why is she fighting them? Trying to prove her own is superior?

 _Ruumble!_

Yuyake watches her island begin to elongate, stretching high into the empty sky. But the sky is no different from the waves, if anything it's just more lonely up there.

Why would she want to be so isolated, when nothing comes from doing so?

Being down there doesn't mean she has to conform to a norm, all it means is that she is humble, and open to the world around her, and its opinions.

She takes a few steps back, before catapulting her body over the cylindrical edge. As she descends, the sea morphs. Each wave coexists with the others, colliding but not disrupting. She nears its surfaces, and as she does, it erupts into colors: reds, oranges, yellows, blues. She smiles in content, yet another step in her training complete!

She'll be talking in no time!

Outside her person, Yuyake simply appears as if she's fallen asleep, which doesn't seem far fetched; she is Shikamaru's friend after all. They have to have something in common. The girls have all gone back to their reserved seats, and Sakura, who was the start of it all, found a chair Yuyake apparently missed.

Iruka Sensei enters the class, and gets them all to settle down, effectively 'waking' Yuyake from the world of thought. He looks at his class; pride burning into his chest to see them all here, Naruto especially. An ever growing smile is all he could do to show his boundless joy.

Too bad Mizuki chose the path he did, if he stayed on the straightened arrow, then he would've gotten to share this moment as well.

"As of today you are all ninja. To get here you have all faced difficult trials and hardships, but that's nothing. What comes next will be far more difficult," His eyes roam the room as he stands like a soldier, hands behind his back and feet apart. "Now, you are only genin, first level ninja, which means you will be grouped into a three man squad. Each squad will be led by a Jonin, an elite ninja,"

Everyone gasps.

Then the gossiping starts.

"Well, someone's gotta be on Sasuke's squad. Who do you think it's going to be?"

Yuyake hears Ino sneer the question at Sakura.

The girl is nonchalant, "I don't know,"

Even though she's playing it cool, Yuyake sneaks a peek, and sees fire is burning in the Haruno's eyes. " _These girls are hopeless,"_ Yuyake never face palmed so hard before. She just hopes they won't end up on her team.

There are other things said and thought, mostly hopeful of team composition, very few are opposed to the idea.

Yuyake hopes that she's put on a team with Shika and Hinata, because let's face it, they'll be killer! Both her and Hinata would be able to locate the enemy from far away and make sure they're not being tailed, mean while, Shikamaru can think of an amazing strategy that her and Hinata can execute without fail.

It would be awesome!

"We want each squad to have a balance of strengths and abilities, so that's how we set them up. I will now announce the squads," Iruka beams as he looks down at his list and begins rambling off names for the groups.

As the teacher matches the groups of three, girls get more and more depressed, each one disappointed they aren't paired with the Uchiha. The ones remaining sweat with anticipation, waiting for their own match up.

"Squad 7, Naruto Uzumaki,"

Said blonde looks up.

"Yuyake Bokuso-chi,"

Naruto brightens even more, she isn't Sakura, but she seems nice!

"And Sasuke Uchiha,"

Naruto's attitude flops at the mention of the Uchiha's name. All hope for a happy future is lost! No Sakura and he has Sasuke?! Why is the Universe against him!

Yuyake shudders when several gazes burn into her body. She fears if it continues long enough, she'll be set on fire. What did she do? She didn't pick the teams!

"How did you get into his group?!"

Yuyake knows Ino is addressing her, but thinks it best not to reply, from what the ebony girl has observed, the Yamanaka tends to start things, and the Bokuso-chi doesn't need that.

Not now or ever.

"I don't get it, what do you see in a guy like that?" Shikamaru asks, resting his chin on his palm, "He's not so special," Shika, on the other hand, is loads of fun to respond to.

Yuyake gives him a pervy smile, bouncing her eyebrows in a suggestive way. Is the Nara jealous of Sasuke~? Shikamaru frowns at her, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "Shut it, I didn't mean it that way," he narrows his gaze at the girl. Yuyake drags her pinched fingers over her lips, zipping them up, as asked. Shikamaru doesn't even respond, he knows he messed that up.

Ino is taken aback by what he said, "You are so beyond clueless! Shikamaru, don't you get it?"

The Nara shifts to look at the bleach blond. "No I don't get it, because I'm not a girl,"

Yuyake narrows her eyes at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that? You shouldn't be offended Yuya, you're not a girl, you're a Yuya," he smirks softly, and the Bokuso-chi crossed her arms and turns her nose up to the air.

Revenge is sweet.

Ino sighs and gives a pitiful look, "You're so full of yourself. Jealousy is a terrible thing," she brings her hand to be beneath her chin "I'd hate to be on your squad," Ino returns.

"Now, squad 10, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara"

Ino's mouth forms an "o" as she gasps at Iruka's words.

Shika gives a short cackle in triumph. "Did you say something about hating to be on my squad?"

The blonde growls at the boy.

"And, Choji Akamichi," Iruka seals Ino's fate with the final name.

Ino groans inwardly "Not food boy too!"

"Those are all the squads," Iruka announces.

"Iruka-sensei, why does a great ninja like me have to be in the same group with a slug like Sasuke?" Naruto stands from his seat and points to the accused Uchiha.

Personally, Yuyake doesn't mind being on a team with either person really; though she sort of wishes Shikamaru and her would've been on the same squad.

And Hinata, can't forget Hinata.

It's a silly question. Nonetheless, Iruka entertains it. He hums in thought before answering, "Sasuke has the best scores of all the graduating students, Naruto, you had the worse scores," he places his hands on his hips as the children laugh.

 _"There he goes pointing Naruto out in front of the whole class again"_ Yuya thinks, a light grimace on her face

"To create a balanced group, we put the best student, with the worse student," he closes.

Naruto growls at the teacher and class.

"Just make sure you don't get in my way, loser" Sasuke speaks for the first time that day.

Yuyake's head drops _"Now Sasuke is just instigating!"_ she sighs inwardly, scratch what she believed earlier, maybe she _does_ mind.

Sasuke hopes the Bokuso-chi knows that his comment extends to her. He has forgotten her on several occasions, Which leads him to believe she isn't anything special, so she better stay that way: Quiet and out of sight.

Naruto tightens his fist till a vein bulges under the skin. The nerve of Sasuke, treating him like this, and calling him a loser! "Hey what did you say!?" Naruto steps up.

"Hard of hearing?"

The laughter starts anew, and Yuyake is embarrassed to be on their team, pinching her nose's bridge to relieve her of the stress they'll no doubt cause. She then proceeds to sink beneath the desk's cover. Why did she even sit with them? If she had sat some where else, maybe everyone would have forgotten she is on this team.

Fat chance.

Iruka clears his throat to regain the class' attention "After Lunch, you'll meet your new Jonin teachers," he informs, "Until then, class dismissed"

Yuyake puts her head down. Maybe she'll disappear.

With the dismissal in place, students scatter faster than Yuyake expects. Despite not being on Sasuke's team, Yuya's classmates seem pretty excited to get to know their new siblings in arms over lunch. Inwardly groaning, Yuyake decides she should probably take up that same attitude and invite Naruto and the Uchiha to break bread. Lifting her skull from the desks' sleek material the mute kunoichi looks around.

...

Where the hell did they go!?

Black hair sways as her head thrashes about.

They really just bounced!

They didn't even try to invite her or anything!

What the fuck!

The heiress shoots out her seat, grabbing her lunch from underneath and storming out the room.

Not only did they leave her, but right after she becomes Sasuke-fan public enemy number one? It's only a matter of time some of them get together a tiny little posse and come for her...

Should she go find Shikamaru or Hinata?

...No. In battle she'll only have those two knuckle heads to rely on, so it's best she just gets use to it.

Huffing, the girl exits the building.

Now... if she were a yellow fire cracker an a self-centered, past-obsessed jerk?

Sasuke is probably going to avoid the crowd, he'll go off by himself to avoid any problems. While Naruto... might...go... ok she really doesn't know the slightest thing about the Uzumaki.

Would he willingly seek the Uchiha out? Maybe prove his worth after such a public humiliation? Yeah, that seems possible... So. Find Sasuke and you find Naruto. Yuyake ponders where the last Uchiha might be...

Uhhh...

Wow... she knows absolutely nothing about these two... despite how prominent their appearance was in academy, Yuya realizes now she's always blocked them out.

Well... moving is better than standing still.

Taking off in a random direction, Yuyake decides circling the school at varying perimeters might be a good strategy, starting close to the building's walls before searching more loosely around its territory.

She's getting further and further away, but she's not seeing anything.

They really ditched her!

They are gonna get the bite of a life time when she sees them!

Maybe she'll just find a safe little nook to tuck away in and eat her food...

Yuyake regrets not taking a closer look at their brainwaves when she had the chance, cause at least then she'd have some way to track them.

A sigh leaves her as she gets further and further from the school. She isn't seeing them... Well, fine, if they don't want to hang out with her, that's ok. She'll just go eat lunch in a tree. She likes trees.

Trees are nice...

Trees don't run off and abandon people...

Yuyake finds a nice lavish one and hops into its woody arms, coping a squat.

Well... At least She has her lunch.

"Hey!" Startled, the mute looks down upon a passing group of classmates. They all hold their lunches close to themselves. Tilting her head, the heiress questions their appearance with her body language, and they answer her.

"Are you looking for _Sasuke_?" One sneers at her, regardless of their sassy demeanor, Yuya nods.

"Well, we saw him along with that blonde idiot over there, but never forget, he's not, nor will Sasuke ever be interested in you!"

Grinning, Yuyake shrugs and hops down, making her way into the thin woods near the school. So this is where the Uchiha escapes to, and where Naruto followed him!

Yuya barely notices the school disappearing in the distance behind her.

The only thing she notices is the fist buried deep in her gut.

!

Her mouth opens, attempting pass her pain of in relieving hurls, but there is nothing in her stomach, only the acid that rises, eating away at the flesh in her throat before burning a sour taste on her tongue.

"Wow she's pretty stupid... I can't believe she actually came here by herself,"

Yuyake clutches her wounded body, her forehead the only thing keeping her from falling face-first into her on bodily fluids.

"I know right? Too easy, restrain her," The glee in the feminine voice above her is sadistic.

Her arms are taken up yanked from her being, and her legs are straightened and held.

Yuyake lifts her head to face four of the girls from her class. It's not the ones that sent her here like she thought.

Three are restraining her while the free one preps for another attack.

There is no one around to witness the beating. No one around the hear the hisses of air that are birthed after each connected hit.

It's just her and her assailants.

Good.

Sasuke wanders into eye shot, barely noticing the bullying from within his cloud of rage. How could he let Naruto do that to him? It doesn't help when Sakura's inconsiderate words ring in his head.

"!"

It's the confused cries that catch his attention. Charcoal orbs are drawn the to the scene of five girls. Yuyake stands, a beaten face and a defiant look in her eyes, three girls struggle to keep a hold of her, but she isn't fighting them. Their turmoil seems to be within themselves as they lash out at what isn't there. When their grip falters, The Bokuso-chi steps forth, challenging the last one with her countenance.

Sasuke watches. He watches as the ebony girl breaks the four down. She shatters their confidence with her own, and dismantles their pride and privilege with her audacity. He watches Yuyake tear down their expectations and their will to fight. And it is awesome! It is amazing to see the girl stand amongst their fallen bodies like she is a goddess of destruction who should not be trifled with. Her eyes shining brilliantly with pure happiness and her muscles tight, waiting, _hoping_ for another challenger.

But she doesn't get one, and the Uchiha finds himself just as disappointed as her.

Something changes in the girl, woeful regret fills her face before she flees, combing her hair over her bruises, and tripping over her feet.

It makes Sasuke smirk, but he isn't completely sure why, watching someone else fight shouldn't and hasn't gotten him excited before, but just then, he almost joined in for the fun! For the thrill!

That is dangerous.

Sasuke is shocked, to say the least; with her performance and his own behavior. He knows he's definitely grown a bit of respect for her.

Though she'll never know.

Maybe the Bokuso-chi aren't so bad after all.

 **~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x**

 **A/N: Bokuso-chi are expected to hold back unless it's just them and their enemy! This is to keep themselves from appearing as a threat to the leaf village in Danzo's eyes as Yoru know the truth behind the Uchiha massacre. The agreement is mutual between the clan leader and the Hokage who doesn't agree with Danzo's methods!**


	3. Tests

"Talking"

 _"Thoughts" and sound effects_

 _"Telepathic speech"_

 **PREVIOUSLY:**

Sasuke is shocked, to say the least; with her performance and his own behavior. He knows he doesn't have a thing for the girl, but he's definitely grown a bit of respect for her.

Though she'd never know.

Now he was certain, his comment earlier about getting in his way? Definitely not aimed at her.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Tests**

Yuyake enters the room where everyone else is already waiting patiently. Some gasp at the sight of her bruised cheek and busted lip. Yuya got the swelling to go down as much as she could, but it is still easily noticeable...She walks past all the questions and worried glances. Amongst them, Shikamaru Nara is reclined comfortably in his chair, fingers locked behind his head and leg crossed over the other, and he doesn't so much as flinch when she enters the room.

Why isn't he concerned?

"Aren't you going to ask her what's wrong?" Choji leans forward, brows furrowed. It isn't like the thinker to be so nonchalant to a friend's needs. Shikamaru's eyes creak open and slip to his friend.

"Yuya is a quiet person, and it has nothing to do with her situation. Of course I'm worried, but she wouldn't be to happy if I pried it out of her in public," he yawns. Then he turns to the chip-lover completely, "Besides, despite her current apperance, she can take care of herself,"

Still, when the mute stops infront of him, Shika makes eye contact with her. Yuyake blinks at his worry; of course he would be concerned. The Nara searchs the Bokuso-chi. She could almost see the questions on his face. Who did it? Why? Did her injuries have to do with how wound up she was earlier? Does she need anything?

Mustering up a smile that hides nothing, he attemtpts to heighten her spirits with a simple "I'd hate to see the other guy..." When the ebony girl cracks a wide smile, he doesn't mind when it spills onto his own.

He doesn't do much then and there, but, he makes Yuyake feel better anyway. Something about the situation made the girl smile. A sense of glee fills her chest when he mimcks her expression, and she lifts her hand to him, and offers it in the form of a fist bump. The oddity makes the Nara shake his head, but he bumps it, none the less.

Then she ignores all looks of worry, even Naruto's, opting to put her head down and pretend like her cranium isn't pounding.

Little by little, the room disperses. Jonin open the door and beckon their new team under their wing. Yuyake listens to the sound of the thinning chatter and of foot steps walking away.

When all disperse, Naruto turns to her closed off form.

"Yuya, what happened?" She feels his warmth approach her, and she shuns it; after all, where was all that sun shine when she wass facing a storm?

"At lunch, A group of girls cornered and attacked her," Sasuke states without emotion, just as cold as the night.

A shudder runs up Yuyake's spine as she lifts her head to look at Sasuke. _"D-did he see the whole thing? Calm down... It's not that big a deal... right?"_

Naruto's blue eyes widen in wonder "What?! Who was it? Come on, you can tell me Yuya!" but she pays him no mind. The blonde reaches for her and again she snatches away, briefly feeling bad for doing so since she knows his history.

She inwardly sighs, she couldn't be angry at him; he has enough people who hate him for no reason, plus, he is just being a good guy in asking about her troubles.

It isn't like _he_ punched her.

So she swallows her anger and took a deep breath, turning to the blonde and giving him her sweetest smile, before offering her fist. Naruto blinks, looking at the curled up hand. What did she want?

Oh! She did this with Shikamaru!

He bumps her fist affectionately and grins wide; man, he was right! Yuyake is cool!

The two finish their moment, and it is bookmarked in Yuyake's memory forever, despite how small it is. She turns to Sasuke and offers him the same fist, but the boy merely scoffs at its simplicity.

...

Yuyake frowns.

Who the heck does Sasuke think he s?! Denying her fist bump!

The nerve!

She supposes she shouldn't expect much from the heir of the Uchiha. Those guys were always such Narcissists! Yuyake folds up her arm and turns her nose to the air.

Screw him!

"He's late!" Naruto sticks his head out the door and looks back and forth feverishly. He needs to calm down.

Yuyake moves to sit cross-leg on the glossy wood of the desk like tables that stretch for rows and rows. Along with Sasuke, who sits with his fingers entwined, looking like a brooding teen.

OH WAIT!

"How come our teacher is the only one that's late? I'm ready to roll, believe it!" Naruto whines. He pulls himself from the doors and looks at his team, "The other groups already met their teachers and have taken off on some adventure or something and Iruka-sensei's gone too!" Seriously though, where is this guy? It's been hours!

You know what?

Time for some pay back.

Naruto grabs a chair and pulls it to the door, taking a chalked up eraser and trapping it in the crack between the threshold and it he door.

Yuyake has to agree, it's a funny idea, but would the Jonin fall for it? Eh, who is she kidding? Her mom would fall for it, so why not some other Jonin?

"That's what he gets for coming late!" Naruto hops off the chair "Surprise!," That teacher will never be late again!

"Humph, our teacher's a Jonin; you think he'll fall for that?" Sasuke interjects, slurping up all the fun in order to feed his ego.

"Oh hush; it's a good idea, right Yuya?" naruto asks, as she only smiles at him; maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn't.

A hand clad in a fingerless glove grabs the side of the door before pushing it aside, releasing the eraser down onto swayed, grey, hair. He has a navy mask that covers his nose on down and his leaf village headband is tilted to cover his left eye. Yuyake has to admit, with the Jonin vest on and the blue pants and ninja shoes, he looks pretty cool for a late bastard.

 _"He actually fell for that cheap trick? Is this guy really a Jonin?"_ Sasuke refuses to believe it. This man is supposed to be _his_ teacher, and he fell for such a silly prank? Ugh! Combine that with the fact he has Naruto and a Bokuso-chi on his team, and Sasuke is doomed!

The man bent down to pick up the fallen eraser.

A pause.

Then he hums in thought.

Naruto grins "Ha! I got 'em! He totally fell for it!" Naruto Boasts, elite ninja his fanny! No one is immune to his pranks!

"How can I put this? My first impression of this group: You're a bunch of idiots," the man states nonchalantly. "Except, maybe, you," his one visible eye locks with the unique set of orbs of Yuyake Bokuso-chi. Naruto and Sasuke look at the girl who nervously rubs at the back of her neck. People just love to put her on spot recently, don't they?

Naruto growls "What? How come Yuyake gets excluded!?"

The Jonin looks from her to Naruto. "Do you know anything about her heritage?" the man asks. Naruto begrudgingly shakes his head no.

"Then be quiet"

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

"Alright, why don't you introduce yourselves, one at a time," The man leans against the metal railing with a leg bent and arms crossed. Yuyake has to wonder if the guy practiced his poses, cause he strikes pretty epically.

The only girl looks up from her place, sitting on the cement balcony with her knees brought to her chest. Sasuke is to her left and Naruto was on the other side of Sasuke, both sitting. A cozy little set up they have!

"Introduce ourselves?" Naruto tilts his head to further display his confusion. "What are we supposed to say?"

The man with grey hair shrugs "Things you like, things you hate, dreams of the future, hobbies, things like that," he brings his arms back into the crossed position. Is it really that difficult? He doesn't need to write a guide book for this kid, did he?

"Why don't you tell us stuff first? I mean, tell us about you so we know how it's supposed to work," Naruto urges, not very fond of the vague nature of the request. It will make the process easier, frankly. Yuyake nods in agreement.

The man points to himself, "Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake, things I like and things I hate? I don't feel like telling you that, my dreams for the future… I never really thought about it. As for my hobbies, I have lots of hobbies," the man, Kakashi, speaks.

Yuyake face palms _"Well, at least we know his name."_ Why is he being difficult? Further more, if he hasn't thought about his future and he's a grown man, how does he expect teenagers to do and coherently put it in a sentence?

Kakashi gestures at the group, "Ok, your turn," As far he is concerned, all they need is his name. "You on the right, you first"

Naruto grins like a fox. Toying with his headband and fluttering his legs as he speaks up; he speaks about his aspirations of being someone of importance! And is... fascination with ramen...Yuyake smiles at the little blond. Glad to know all his mistreatment hasn't left him bitter.

Kakashi's eye flickers with shock, a twinkle of interest in his coal pupil. Rubbing at his clothed chin, the male picks his next victim, "Next," He looks to the tiny Bokuso-chi. Her eyes cahllange his gaze lazily, unwaving in their passiveness.

. . .

The teacher raises a brow at her unnecessary rebellion.

. . .

Why is she just staring? Oh wait, let him guess: "So you haven't learned to talk yet?" He asks her. Yuyake jumps lightly, how does he know so much? Still, she shakes her head at his question. "What a shame, Next"

Naruto looks from Yuyake to Kakashi.

Wait a minute!

"Hey! Hey Kakashi-sensei, since Yuyake can't talk, is she an idiot now too?" He doesn't want to bring her down; he just wants to be on equal ground as her teammate. They could all be idiots together!...

Especially Sasuke

Kakashi looks at the boy in orange, "No, it doesn't," Naruto deflates at the news. Come on, what would it take? "Like I said, Last one"

"My name, is Sasuke Uchiha," The raven haired child continues, his tone grows darker and darker with each word, and Yuayke can easliy feel the wasted blood of the beloved so thic. It drapes upon his shoulders and he lets it; it's his reminder... his reminder that there was someone out there is meant to forge him a new cloak from their own reds.

All fell quiet after that.

Yuyake tugs at her shirt to let out steam, _"Gosh, way to create a tense and awkward moment, Sasuke…."_ Yuyake looks away. She wonders how he would react if he finds out her sister and his brother use to be best friends. . . and even dated for a short time.

 _"Jeeze, I hope he doesn't mean me,"_ Naruto watches the Uchiha wearily. That killer look in Sasuke's eyes is something to be feared!

Kakashi mentally noted the boy's behavior. He couldn't say he was surprised, but one could always hope.

"Good, you're each unique and have your own Ideas," Kakashi breaks the awkward silence. "We'll have our first mission tomorrow." He begins

Yuyake falls off into her thoughts, _"I wander how fast Kakashi-sensei's brainwaves are"_ her eyes glaze over as she focuses. She feels reality melt to that endless blackness, and she plundges back into the pool.

 _DRIP!_

The ripples fan out, their peaks gaining color and personality.

 _..!_

They push past her, quickly, raising her ever so slightly with every summit. The mounds are grey and monotonous, stuck in their tides.

They're Ice cold

Freezing, so much so she can barely feel her toes after seconds of being in their presence. Yuyake shivers, rubbing her arms and curling up into herself to bare it all, but that's a mistake; Her nose nears the surface of his waves and an ever so faint odor of iron and copper is subtle, but they make sure they are noticed. These are Kakashi's? She takes a moment to evaluate their behavior. They're current is strong, pushing her around as they like but not overbearing- they don't allow her to push back- but they do not mean her harm.

 _"Brr! Not exactly what I expected! Are Sasuke's this bad?"_

At her behest, the Uchiha's waves swoop in, at a moderate pace. They're calm on the surface. That's nice. The set pushes against her and they're not inviting. At all. They're cold, calm, and blue. Though she doesn't like it, the experience is what Yuyake expected.

So where is-?

They rush in before she can beckon them, vibrant and happy, but also just as tormented, if not more so. They're orange and needy... This must be Naruto. Yuyake lets their waves wash over her, sloshing her around and giving her a good Idea of their person.

"We worked hard to get here anyway! What was that graduation test for anyway!?" Naruto's shouts of disapproval absorbed Yuyake's focus as she is brought back to reality.

"That was just to select the candidates who might become genin, or not" Kakashi speaks.

Yuyake's eyes widen. Whoa, whoa, whoa. What is he talking about? They aren't official Genin? That can't be right. Man, she chose the wrong time to check out.

"That's how it is, I decide whether you pass, or fail," Kakashi states. He needs to instill the necessary amount of fear in them for this to work. "Be at the designated training spot at 5 am, and bring your ninja gear," he informs, his tone just as collective and calm as when he started. Of course it would be, it isn't his ninja career on the line.

It is Sasuke who darkens the air with blood lust first. He straightens his posture and displays his robs of blood to he who dare take it, baring his teeth in warning and lowering his brow at the male's him Naruto growls like a teased beast, his ears twitching, almost as if they're attempting to flatten against his skull. Lastly is Yuyake who curls deceptively into herself, eyes burning like fire, tempting any to try and take from her.

Kakashi nods.

The jonin looks over their faces, before him is the furocity of a fox, the rage of a disgraced warrior and the wrath of a powerful queen.

Yes, that what he was aiming for, those looks of determination and desperateness, works every time, He turns his back to them "That's it, you're dismissed, "Oh, tomorrow you'd better skip breakfast or else you'll puke," Kakashi adds.

And then he is gone.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~~X~X~X~**

Yuyake thinks of what Kakashi said _"or you'll puke, that's what he said"_ the little kunoichi ponders, _"Well…. Dry heaving is worse than throwing up; in my experience,"_ She remembers her gut punch earlier _"think I'll eat breakfast to make sure"_ the mute strolls into her home and removes her shoes.

 _"Welcome home sweetie! How was it?"_

Yuyake shrugs; it was all right, you know, minus the the whole being beaten up thing... and the whole idiotic team mates thing... and the whole 'I'mma kill my bro' thing... and the whole 'you're not ninja till i say you're ninja!' thing...

Alright, Yuya takes that back, it was a pretty bad day...

And don't get her started on that masked man!

...Wow, today was a REALLY bad day...

 _"Was not being able to talk a problem?"_

Yuyake shakes her open palm in the air becuase it kind of was, kind of wasn't.

 _"Well, come on, let's get in some more training. It's a difficult technique that normally takes a couple years to master. Your cousin, the world renowned Ninja, mastered it in half a year, and your outstanding sister mastered it 3 months after your cousin,"_ Her mother smiles.

And so training Resumed.

Or at least it was supposed to. Before they even reach the trainging room, an official comes rushing through the house, baring a letter.

"Madame Bokuso-chi! Your presence was just requested at the clan meeting going on!" Yuyake looks at the messenger, his eyes are simple blue, yeah he married into the family.

The mother's shoulders slump. Another meeting? They just had one last week! Can't they understand she has a daughter who needs her attention...

...

But what if it's important? The clan is already held together by strings; she has to be there to settle any outbursts...

Yuyake turns to her mother as the woman gives an apologetic look. The daughter beams a satisfied smile and nods for the wolder woman to go ahead. As the clan leader turns to leave. The daughter opens the door to the training room.

She doesn't train long, nor does she get very far. No, Yuyake goes ahead and turns in early, after all, she has an early start tomorrow!

 **~X~**

* * *

Yuyake walks toward the training grounds as she rummages through her gear. It seems like she has everything, which is good, of course. A breeze pushes at her hair and sleeves. And something about the earthy caress plants a smile upon her lips.

What a nice day!

the small girl admires the sun, taking a moment to bask in its warmth and light.

 **~X~**

* * *

Yuyake gets to the location to see Naruto already dozing and Sasuke standing watch. The Bokuso-chi comes to a stop and sits down while chowing down on a rice ball she grabbed for breakfast. Sasuke turns to give her a look, and judging by the disgusted curve to his lip, she assumes he wants to know if she is stupid. Yuyake shrugs in response.

She'd tell him to shut it, if she could.

The sun walks leisurely over the sky, and it gets pretty far by the time Kakashi makes his appearance.

"Morning everyone, ready for your first day?" The grey hair shinobi finally arrives five hours later.

"You're Late!" Naruto shouts; his accusing tone accompanied by Yuyake's equally accusing finger-point.

"Well a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way," Kakashi smils, well judging by his eye he does, while he recites his practiced excuse. Yuyake crosses her arms disbelievingly, and Naruto growls at the sensei.

"Well," Kakashi clears his throat, they don't believe him, can you imagine that?

"Let's get started," The Jonin walks over to a tree stump that had an odd looking clock on top of it. Yuyake noticed it earlier, but she thought someone left it there the day prior. Kakashi pushs on a button sticking out the clock's top. "Here we go, it's set for noon," Naruto simply hums in confusion.

 _TING-GLING!_

Kakashi holds up two circular silver bells, each dangling from a red string. "Your assignment is very simple," Kakashi begins. "You just have to take these bells from me, that's all there is to it"

Yuyake deadpans, _"Yeah, it's simple, but it's not easy, is it?"_

Kakashi refocuses her attention with another ring of the bells: "If you can't get them by noon, you go without lunch," Why did Kakashi sound so cheery delivering that tidbit? "You'll be tied to those posts, and you'll watch as I eat my lunch in front of you."

Yuyake looks shocked, and then she smirks triumphantly and flashes Sasuke a narcissistic Peace sign.

The Uchiha has a revelation at the teacher's proclamation.

Then Yuyake notices something. She steps forward and points at the bells, holding up 2 fingers, before she pointing at Naruto, Sasuke, and herself, and holding up 3 fingers.

Kakashi watches her, "I suppose you're gesturing to how there are only two bells and three of you," He decifers.

A bob of black hair confirms his prediction.

The grey haired ninja chuckles "Well that way, at least one of you will end up tied to a post and ultimately eliminated, of course all three of you could flunk out. You can use any weapon, including shurikan, if you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells," He yanks the silver bells into his grasp.

"You got to be kidding? You couldn't even dodge that eraser," Naruto chuckles to himself, being sure to share his grin with the group.

"Class clowns are usually the weakest links" Kakashi taunts.

 _Clank!_

Yuyake hears a shift of metal behind her, and when she turns from Kakashi to investigate, Kakashi is holding Naruto's hand behind his head, a kunai in Naruto's grasp pointed towards the boy's head.

That speed... vaguely reminds Yuyake of someone, but then it vanishes, far too fast for her to fully grasp it.

"I'm actually starting to like you guys,"

Yuyake refocused on the Jonin. Kakashi let Naruto loose. "Get ready. And. Start!" They all disperse.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

Yuyake stands in a tree, watching Kakashi as he and Naruto tussle it out.

Kinda.

It is closer to a display of Naruto's clumsy nature. The way the blonde topples over with every missed punch. Naruto fights in the present, never once attempting to anticipate a move. The boy prefers to just attempt to over power the Jonin with his childish attacks.

"You won't defeat me with this jutsu" Kakashi warns the charging Shadow clones, but they're as empty as the original's head. Naruto pins the grey haired man, and Yuyake frowns as she watched the situation; That was too ease... Yuyak takes a moment to plunge into the realm of waves, and there she finds that she no longer feels brain waves coming from Kakashi. Her suspicions are confirmed when Naruto punches the man and he turns into a clone before exploding into smoke.

It is then the Naruto's began fighting each other.

Can't he tell that no one but him is there? The self-battery drags on and Yuayke just... can't look away... She pinches the bridge of her nose. No one can be that stupid... right?

But he is...

It takes a while, but Naruto undoes the Jutsu and only the battered child is left. Yuyake shakes her head. The Uzumaki turns to look off to the side and Yuyake follows his gaze: a bell.

 _"Heh, nice try, but that trap is waaay too obvious- Is Naruto really falling for it!?"_ Yuyake's thoughts rage as she watches the little blond ninja walk over to the bell; it is like watching a horror film where Naruto is the last survivor, and Yuyake is the audience telling him not to go in the closet. As the boy creeps closer to the tantilizing silver, Yuyake turns her back on the scene; she doesn't want to watch him embarrass himself...

How could Naruto be that dumb?!

She silently sighs.

 _Fleeh fleeh fleeh fleeh fleeh!_

Sasuke cuts down his 'sensei' in one swoop of shurican. Ha! That Jonin wasn't worthy of him anyway.

"Whoa! shuriken just blasted him! Sasuke you went too far!" Naruto barks. Whoa, is that really Kakashi? Yuyake closes her eyes, but keep her senses ever so sharepened. She feels those stern grey waves rock her gently... Kakashi's brainwaves are coming from deeper in the woods. It is weird, she could feel something about them... They are sorta... taunting? Drawing back as soon as they touched her form; it is like he is beckoning her.

 _"If it's me he wants, it's me he'll get!"_ she turns on her heels, darting towards the original before the fake is revealed. She speeds through the branches , darting in the air like a freed leaf in a harsh gust. She tries sensing his brainwaves while moving, but doing so and dodging tree limbs prove far out her skill range. Yuyake stops. Before her is a Hatake.

Is that Kakashi?

She pauses and releases a breath, allowing his consciousness to reveal himself behind her closed lids.

She gasps. Kakashi is-! Yuyake whips around and pulls out a kunai. The leisure Jonin is standing there with his hands in his pockets, seemingly content with watching her freak out.

"So you've learned to sense Brain waves then?" He inquires, curious to see how far her training has gotten. Yuyake gives him a hard gaze. Kakashi pulls out his book and in the moment he takes to look down to properly retrieve it, she attacks.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter has now been Edited!**


	4. Once Related

"Talking"

 _"Thoughts" and sound effects_

 _"Telepathic speech"_

 **PREVIOUSLY:**

She gasps. Kakashi is-! Yuyake whips around and pulls out a kunai. The leisure Jonin is standing there with his hands in his pockets, seemingly content with watching her freak out.

"So you've learned to sense Brain waves then?" He inquires, curious to see how far her training has gotten. Yuyake gives him a hard gaze. Kakashi pulls out his book and in the moment he takes to look down to properly retrieve it, she attacks.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Once Related**

They Clash, but Kakashi teases her, moving with her punches to remove their power and meeting her kicks with his nonchalant legs to diminish their confidence. She frowns, breaking from him for but only for a moment before charging back in. Chakra clutters the channels in her fists, and she doesn't need the the weight she flings behind the blow, only the brief moment of contact before Kakashi follows her lead.

Kakashi narrows his eyes, but then the girl before him morphs to something else. "What?" he holds his head. Memories, good and bad, flicker over his mind's eye. What is a good Chicken barbecue? What? No no, he needs to stay frosty. No, that's not obtuse! What's going Might Gai!? Try as he might, Kakashi can't think straight or gather his thoughts, he just keeps seeing random memories, some flash by and others linger. His mental sentences seemingly completed by some random word generator. Man, What is bean paste!? He couldn't gather up any intelligence or anything.

Yuyake grins deviously at the visible turmoil.

 _"Ninja art: Discord,"_

Yuyake strikes. One hit after another, leaving damage that accentuates Kakashi's blender of senses, and she traps him against a tree.

 _"Oh! The bells!"_ the sunset-eyed girl stops her combos and reach for a ball of silver, only to have a masculine hand grasp her wrist.

She took too long.

Kakashi flings the girl through the air and her back slams into rough tree bark. Yuyake whimpers as she gets to her feet.

That hurt… a lot.

Kakashi looks at her, frowning lightly. Then he smiles. "A kunoichi in training and you can already use physical contact to enforce your chakra into your opponent to scramble their current thoughts. Good job," Yuyake gasps. "Though you knew it wouldn't last long because it depends on your chakra compared to your opponent's, as well as your opponent's mental state,". The jonin dusts off his clothing and straightens his stance.

"So," he pulls out his signature literature: "Can you also use your chakra to make your opponent believe they're being hit with all the strength of a past fatal blow? Or maybe you can use it to increase the body's innate regenerative abilities?" He looks up at the tiny Bokuso-chi who holds a quizzical gaze.

"I suppose you're wondering how I know of a the Bokuso-chi's techniques when you all have been keeping it hush, hush. Am I right?" Yuyake nods. "Well that's simple; I may have had previous relations with the Clan leader, your mother, when I was a little younger; she and I dated for a while, that is, until I found out how old she really was, especially how much older she was than myself," The team leader returned to his book in his trip down memory lane. When he looks up, a disgusted countenance on Yuyake's face, and her shudder, greets him.

"I suppose you just imagined us making out?" When the look worsened, he couldn't help but to laugh nervously. "Come on, the idea that I could've been your father can't be that bad, you might have gotten grey hair," Kakashi states. He hadn't meant to scar the girl like that. Hopefully he can take her mind off it.

It works. Yuyake pauses a moment, curling a hand under her chin as she imagines herself with long, grey hair. She shakes her head, deciding that the grey would clash with her sunset eyes. When she looks up, Kakashi is gone…Crap, she needs to find him! On her way back, she was interrupted by a loud ringing sound in the air. A rock fell into her stomach. How could she not have noticed that it was so close to lunch time? She deflated in her pace and walked towards the ringing.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

When she got there, Naruto was tied to a post, and Kakashi was waiting for her and Sasuke. Yuyake sat on Naruto's left and Sasuke the right. Two boxed lunches sat before them, and a trio of stomach growls responded to their presence.

"Uh oh, stomach's growling huh? That's too bad," Kakashi starts without a smidget of sympathy as his arms were crossed. "Oh, by the way, about this exercise? Well, I've decided, I won't send any of you back to the academy," He speaks with slight glee. Yuyake smiles, did that means they passed!?

Naruto beams a smile and rejoices slightly. He Is really going to be a ninja! Sasuke makes a sound of approval. Good, he doesn't need any setbacks. "Th-th-then! That means all three of us!" Naruto blares.

 **Anger.**

Yuyake shivers, grabbing hold of herself. She blinks, finding herself in the realm of brainwaves, the liquid about her so chilling that she's already beginning to loose feeling in her body. Whose waves are these? So cold and angry that they dragged her from her conscious body? Yuyake watches the thrashing mounds for their color.

Grey.

"Yes, all three of you are being dropped from the program," Kakashi smiles. All rejoicing stops. Yuyake's eyes widen.

"Drop us from the program?! That means we could never be ninjas! You said if we didn't get a bell, we'd be sent back to the academy! You can't just change your mind and kick us out! Why would you do that!?" If Naruto wasn't strapped down, he'd tear that stupid mask off Kakashi's face! How could the man smile while crushing the dreams of children?

"Because you don't think like ninjas," Kakashi starts, explaining is always the annoying bit. "You think like little kids, like brats,"

That strikes a chord with the Uchiha.

A brat?! Him!?He'll show him what a brat is! Before Yuyake knows it, The Uchiha is sprinting toward their Sensei with anger so pronounced in his face and displayed so prominently in his mental signature.

But just as fast as he took off, Sasuke is on the ground with Kakashi sitting on his back and holding his arm behind him. The look on the jonin's face is darker than night. The audacity the boy possesses is one notch too high, causing Kakashi's pot to boil over and spill.

"You think it's about you," the veteran continues. "You don't know what it means to be a ninja, you think it's a game, huh?" his scowl darkens to a shade unnameable. That angry aura, the feel of that bone chilling glare, the knowledge he has of the Bokuso-chi, that spiky hair, and that one visible eye. Now Yuyake knew who Kakashi reminded her of; it's that man from orientation day.

Naruto watches Yuyake's form begin to tremble and her eyes gloss with fear. Is it that bad? Sure, the man frightens Naruto's skin and quickens his heart, but nothing physically visible. Is he misunderstanding the danger he is in?

Yuyake can't stop, her hands grab her arms and try to force them still, but they only tremble together. Sure, that man had dark hair, a cloak, and an orange mask, but Kakashi's everything is just so similar and irritates the fresh cut.

"Yuyake," At her beckon, the girl jumps violently as she cranks her head up to Kakashi. "Though you can't speak, I didn't see you make any effort to go help Naruto out. **Selfish.** " Kakashi's eyes narrow, and she cowers. "Naruto, you do everything on your own. **Everything**. " Kakashi tightens his grip on Sasuke. "And you Sasuke, you thought the others were so far below you that they were worthless. _**Arrogance**_." the word sizzles on his tongue. How dare these three be so self-absorbed? So incorrectly independent? So much like the enemy! So much like _him_? Didn't they know that each other is all they have? For Naruto and Sasuke, that is literal, and for Yuyake, it is more literal than she thought. Out there on the field, her family wont be there to save her.

"Ninja missions are carried out in squads, of course you need individual skills, but team work is the most essential element, every shinobi understands this, when individuals put themselves above the squad, this can lead to failure, and death, for example." This is when they understand. Kakashi pulls a kunai and holds it to Sasuke's neck,

"Yuyake, kill Naruto now, or Sasuke dies," Naruto thrashes in his restraints while Yuyake flinches at his tone and words. "That's what happens on a mission," Kakashi speaks with more experience than the children know. He removes his Kunai. Naruto relaxes and the shift in Kakashi's tone calms Yuyake, even if only a little. "The enemy takes a hostage and you've got an impossible choice and someone ends up dead," The weathered warrior disarms himself, both physically and mentally. He then gathers up his battle scars and stood to his feet, walking away

"On every mission, your life is on the line," he doesn't like being so hard, but it is necessary. It always is.

Kakashi trudges on, into his past. He is vague, he always is. It isn't like he wants to be, because he doesn't. He wants to go into detail, to shout it- scream it! But it is impossible, the deeper he dove, the more of himself he lost to the darkness.

The airy resemblance of the truth is all he could manage...

 **~X~**

"Alright, I'm going to give you one more chance," Yuyake calms down in the somber conversation over the memorial stone. "But I'm going to make it much harder on you, you'll have 3 hours to get a bell," he looks them over. "Eat lunch now to build up strength, but Naruto doesn't get any." A growl from the blond in response. "It's your punishment for not following the rules. If anyone tries to give him some, that person will automatically fail," Kakashi warns. "I make the rules, you follow them, got it?"

And like that, he leaves.

Yuyake looks at her lunch. She isn't that hungry, Kakashi kind of stole her appetite. _"I really shouldn't get so scared around Kakashi-sensei, he's just like anyone else and wouldn't try to actually harm me. He was just trying to teach me a needed lesson,"_ a loud rumble interrupts her thoughts. She searches herself before determining that the origin must be her starving Blond companion.

"This is no big deal! I can go without eating for days! Weeks!" the boy declares, but his stomach roars a haughty disagreement. "No problem," he adds and Yuyake palms her face at his pathetic stat. He was already deteriorating! Yuyake looks at her untouched food. A quick look around, Kakashi didn't seem to be anywhere close by.

Sasuke offers Naruto his lunch, "Here, if you're hungry, that'll weaken the team and jeopardize the mission," Naruto jumps in shock. Yuyake offers her food to him as well, nodding in agreement to Sasuke's words.

Naruto's cheeks flush and a grin plasters on his face. "Sasuke!...Y-Yuya," he smiles, Yuyake stands up and takes a clump of rice in the hold of her chopsticks before offering it to Naruto. "Oh jeeze, a pretty girl feeding me lunch, wo-" before Naruto would finish, a flustered Yuyake shoves food in his mouth. Naruto happily devours the edibles, and when he swallows, it unleashes hell.

An explosion of smoke flings the lunch boxes out Sasuke and Yuyake's hands.

"You," Kakashi was before them and looking worse than before, Yuyake dropped to her knees and the trembling started all over again, all the logic and reassurance she had drummed up earlier- gone! Burnt up in all Kakashi's rage. It's a two-front war. While Kakashi's hot anger tears and rips at her physical flesh like fire, his brainwaves... delight her?

Yuyake muted the outside world to evaluate his frequency. The grey waves have not increased to unfathomable heights, they have not gained a tinge of red with blood lust or even riled up in ferocity. On contrary, they're calming and warm, glowing with pride and excitement and... loving? She looked around her. Naruto's waves are quaking and uncertain while Sasuke's stutter and jerky at her worriedly... But Kakashi's are steady and clam amongst them.

That couldn't be right.

Yuyake turned to the rampaging jonin in all his frightening glory. Even the Nature around him seemed to bend and fold to his anger and will. But... Yuyake no longer felt it. Even the masked man who approached so unassumingly and didn't harm her, even _his_ true blood-lust was written in his signatures...

So... why?

"You broke the rules!" Kakashi continued. "I hope you're ready for the punishment," the slow creation of each hand sign was heart stopping. The clear blue sky was murderous dark grey, "Any last words?" the ground rattled beneath them.

"But, you said," Naruto stepped forth. Yuyake, who was now just sitting there waiting to die with the most calm expression on her face, looked to the boy.

"Yes?" Kakashi dared the child to continue.

"You said that there were 3 of us! That's what you said and that's why Sasuke and Yuyake…." Naruto lost his train of thought, but his courage farther fueled the small kunoichi's.

"We're all on this squad, and we're all in it together," Sasuke added. Yuyake looked at the two, and smiled; now these were teammates she could be proud of. She nodded furiously in agreement, pointing at Sasuke.

"You're in this together? That's your excuse!?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He met the orbs of each determined Genin, and it brought a smile to his face:

"You pass," he spoke, all malice forgotten or erased. Though Yuyake wondered if it was ever really there.

. . .

She was just so confused. "Huh?" and apparently Naruto was too.

"You. Passed," Kakashi repeated. "You're the first squad that ever succeeded." The Jonin shrugged lightly "The others did exactly what I said, and fell into every trap, they couldn't think for themselves. A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world, those that break the rules are scum, that's true, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum," Yuyake smiled in realization.

That was awesome! The lies! The quotes! The hate. The love! Naruto's eyes filled with salty liquid "You know, he's kind of cool," he admitted with mucus lacing his voice.

"You've all passed; team 7 starts its first mission tomorrow!"

Sasuke made a sound of happiness, or at least Yuyake thought so. Said girl smiled. She felt bad for using brainwaves to cheat like that, but it felt nice to understand them, to see they're true feelings rather than the masks they put on.

...

But was that fair of her? If the people went through so much trouble to put on these masks, was it really fair of her to just rip them off because she could? Yuyake refocused on reality. She'd ask her mom that later. Right now, Sasuke and Kakashi were walking away and she stood up. "Hey, Yuya, could you untie me?" She turned to Naruto and smirked. The blonde's eyes widened; he didn't like that devious edge in those sunset eyes. With a wink, Yuyake hopped up and dashed to be in front of the males, throwing caution to the wind.

Naruto took a moment to process. Did she just? How could she! She looked him dead in his eye! Well... whatever, maybe he could get free himself?

Wiggle.

Wiggle. Wiggle.

Of course he couldn't.

"YOU GUYS FORGOT TO UNTIE MEEEE!" Naruto called.

 **~X~**

That afternoon, Yuyake walked into her house. _"I'm in the office, baby, if you need me_ ," That was her mom. The child dashed over, dropping her things at the entrance. Yoru Bokuso-chi sat at her desk that was piled high with papers. _"How was it today?"_ Yuyake gave a thumbs up.  " _Good_ ," while it wasn't common for heirs and heiresses to enter academy, Yoru knew she herself was too busy, and the dark-skinned woman wasn't too happy about how Isolated her daughter was, despite how much it may be her fault as well.

Yuyake deserved friends and someone to talk to just like any other kid.

Tug.

Yoru turned to look down at her daughter who was pulling the woman's sleeve and tapping her little temple.

 _" Yes, what is it? Something about our technique"_ She tilted her head. Yuyake nodded and gave a frown, then a smile, before making a wave motion with her hand.

" _The connection between brainwaves and someone's emotions?"_ Yuyake nodded at her mother's guess. _"Oh, you must be worried about invading other's privacy."_ Another nod as response. _"Hmm... Think of it this way, everyone wants to be understood. Whether in conversation, or argument, friend, or foe. Everyone wants you to understand what they're saying, why they're saying it, and how they say it. Imagine how you'd feel if you wanted a piece of cake really badly, but I thought you were joking, so you never got it," _ Yoru looked back and forth between her child and her work. Why was there always paperwork?

Yuyake took a moment to think about her mother's argument. She had a good point. A great one, really. After all, even Masks have holes for the eyes and mouth. The little girl nodded before running off. _"Seek first to Understand; then, be understood...Don't you leave that mess you made in front of the door, young lady!"_

 **~X~**

"Sasuke reporting, I'm at point B and Yuyake is at Point C,"

"Naruto reporting, I'm at point A, believe it,"

"Go slow Naruto," Kakashi warned. Their voices were slurred by the radio's poor quality. It as a clear blue day filled with warmth and lush vegetation. A beastly shadow darted out of its hiding spot, its devious eyes glowing a yellow. "Target has moved! Follow it!" Kakashi instructed.

"Over there" Naruto whispered. The three hid behind a group of trees.

"What's your distance from the target?"

Naruto peeked from behind the tree, "Five meters." He had to be quiet. If that beast sees them, it was all over. A droplet of sweat ran down Yuyake's temple, this was it. It was do or die, right now.

"I'm ready just give the signal," Naruto prompted. He'd been training for this for a while.

"I'm ready too," Sasuke agreed. Yuyake nodded in agreement. This was it. "Okay," Kakashi knew timing was everything here.

"Now!"

The ninjas sprung out of the shadows and attacked their target. The poor kitten gave a meow of distress as Naruto snatched it up. Yuyake sighed in relief; they'd been tracking the little guy all afternoon! The Cat clawed and scratched at Naruto's face, not liking the manner he was holding her. Yuyake giggled and walked over before gather the cat in her arms and gently rubbing its head, to which it purred and rubbed against her hand. She just loved cats.

"Affirmative, we have a positive ID," Sasuke relayed.

"Right, lost pet, Tora, captured," Kakashi confirmed. Now they just had to get it back to its owner.

* * *

 **This chapter has been edited! Please comment~!**


	5. A real mission says all

**A/N . . . . It's still Tuesday when i posted this... so I haven't broken any rules . . . . . review?**

"Talking"

 _"Thoughts" and sound effects_

 _"Telepathic speech" _

**PREVIOUSLY:**

"Affirmative, we have a positive ID," Sasuke relayed.

"Right, lost pet, Tora, captured," Kakashi confirmed. Now they just had to get it back to its owner.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 5: A real mission says all**

Yuyake watches with pity as the cat's owner smashed the animal against her face. Poor kitty.

"Ha, serves that cat right," Naruto proclaims and Yuyake slapped him on the arm. "ow! What was that for!?" he grumbled.

"Now then," The third Hokage starts. Yuyake often wonders how the old guy could talk so clearly with that pipe in his mouth. "For squad 7's next mission, we have several available tasks: Among them is babysitting the head councilor's three-year-old, helping his wife to do the shopping, digging up potatoes and-" He is interrupted by an orange wearing ball of energy.

"Nooooo!" Naruto groans and put his arms up in an 'X' shape as if blocking the mission. "I wanna go on a real mission! Something challenging and exciting!" he urged. "Not this little kids stuff!" Though his delivery leaves a lot to be desired, Yuyake has to admit that she agrees. "Come on ol' man!" Naruto begs, reaching for the elder's sympathy.

" _He's right"_ Sasuke thinks, of course he'll never say it out loud. But seriously, How is picking weeds and catching cats suppose to help them develop their skills?

 _"I knew this was coming"_ Kakashi mused inwardly before releasing a sigh, he is surprised it took this long for the child to crack.

"How dare you!" Yuyake jumps lightly at Iruka's outburst, why is he yelling? It isn't that serious. "You're just brand new Genin with no experience! Like everyone else you start with simple missions to develop your skill and improve yourself!" Yuyake frowns at Iruka's words; doesn't he have a class to teach? Why is he here yelling at them over a simple request?

"Are you serious!? Babysitting is not a mission! It's just a stupid-" Naruto stops abruptly when he meets the floor, courtesy of a Kakashi's fist.

"Will you put a lid on it?" Jeeze, what was with this kid? Was he _trying_ to make this difficult?

"Naruto," the hoarse voice of the great Hokage scolds. "It would seem you don't understand the tasks of which you've been given."

Yuyake huffs to herself, _"Just great, wisdom…I'm not staying tune for this, I already know the ranking system,"_ Yuyake grumbles. There has to be something more interesting in the brain wave realm... Oh! What does the Hokage's brain waves look like? Only one way to find out.

With a relaxing breath, the dark skinned girl let the varying frequencies enter her waters. The first sets to pop up were her team's. They're eager orange, cool blue, and authoritative grey. Then, they pronounce themselves, soothing and white. Their press a breath of comfort from her. They're like a grandpa's hug!

"Silence!"

Yuyake jumps to reality at the Third's irate tone. Naruto turns to the old man and groans, "You always lecture me like you're my grandfather or something! But I'm not the little brat that used to play pranks anymore! I'm a ninja and I want a real ninja mission!" Naruto tells them because, apparently, they haven't noticed. He just doesn't get it; why are they fighting him so much on this?

Sunset eyes watch as Naruto turns his back to the superiors and pouts.

Kakashi sighs _"I'm going to hear this later"_ But that is obvious, wasn't it? the kage and Iruka chuckle, ok, now they are starting to understand this situation,

"Naruto wants us to know he's not a brat, he's a former brat, and he wants a mission,"

The old man adjusts his hat. "So be it," The sync-ed eye-widening is flawless. If Yuyake didn't know any better, she would have thought it was practiced. Even Naruto turns back around. "Since you are so determined, I'm going to give you a C-rank mission. You'll be bodyguards on a journey,"

Yuya's eyes glitter in excitement. Finally, A mission to put all her Bokuso-chi training to use!... well not really. She deflates slightly, that is bittersweet.

"Really?! Yes! Who? Who?! Are we guarding a princess or some business counselor?!" This is great! Naruto couldn't believe they caved!

"Don't be so impatient, I'll bring him in now," The old man talks around his pipe with a smile of amusement, boy won't Naruto be disappointed. "Send in our visitor," He calls out louder to those outside the room. There is a blanket of anticipation over team 7 as they turn partially to watch the entrance. Slowly, a hand slides the door out its way and the first thing Yuyake sees is a big gut. The smell of alcohol spills into the room as the man brings a glass bottle to his lips for a swig.

"What the? A bunch of little snot nose kids?" the man frowns, clearly outraged.

 _"You're not a basket of well picked roses yourself, bub,"_ Yuyake huffs indignantly at his insult. With a cross of the arms, she turns around and sticks her nose in the air.

The nerve of him!

His appearance is a conglomeration of his status, his well fed form clad in washed out greens and grays and materials that no doubt have to be patched every year. He looks through his glasses at the group, "And you, the little one with the idiotic look on your face, you really expect me to believe you're a ninja?"

Naruto erupts into laughter. Man, to be talked about by this guy is a real insult! Who exactly is he talking to, anyway? "Who's the little one with the idiotic look on his… uuhhh," Naruto's smile fades as he looks from a seemingly bored Sasuke to the back of Yuyake. The Uchiha removes a hand from his pocket to push Naruto Closer to their pouting teammate while nearing the blonde.

It is then Naruto notices that even Yuya is taller than him. Why he oughta! "I'll demolish you!" Naruto barks, lunging for the kill. Kakashi is quicker than the child, and holds him back with a hand on the collar. So predictable this one.

"You can't demolish the client, Naruto, it doesn't work that way," Kakashi informs, but Naruto is already on a rant off how he'll finish the old man if he gets the chance.

The client takes a few gulps from his bottle. "I am Tazuna, a master bridge builder, I must return to my country," He starts, Yuyake turns back around to listen; she needs this information for her mission. "I'm building a bridge there that'll change our lives, and I expect you to get me there safely, even if it means your life." Yuyake blinks. Wow, this guy sounds serious for a drunk.

Regardless, the heiress gives a determined look before adding a nod. She radiates a brilliance that catches Kakashi's attention; she is so much like her mother. Hopefully she isn't _too_ much like her. . .

"Alright, head home to pack and rande-vue at the village gates, that includes you as well," Kakashi beckons the attention of his quad and client. Three nods.

"Ha! I'm totally gonna beat You guys there!" Naruto rubs his nose, displaying confidence in his aura.

"Hmph, fat chance" Sasuke scoffs, placing a hand on his hip and perfecting his cool and collective posture.

"What did you say?" The blond growls, reaching for the smug Uchiha's collar. He'll pummel his jerk!

 _CLECK! . . .cleck..._

The boys look up to see their third member sliding past Tazuna and zipping down the hallway. Day-blue and Night-black eyes widen.

"What! No fair! Yuya cheated!" The blonde protest. Everyone just saw that she cheated, right!? Naruto turns back to Sasuke to confirm what they just witnessed, but the avenger is already starting after the girl. Darn it! Why is he always last!

Kakashi watches his children speed off down the hall, a heavy sigh in his chest, just waiting to be released. Why is he cursed with such knuckle heads? Did the Universe hate him? Hasn't he suffering enough? An aged Chuckle brought the Jonin out of his stupor. Kakashi turned to regard the third with the respect he deserved.

"Kids will be kids, Kakashi, they don't have the role for long, so let them play the part for now," Sarutobi smiled, grabbing hold of his pipe. Kakashi supposed the old man was right, perhaps he was overreacting.

"AH!" that was a woman's scream... Naruto must have run into someone.

Great.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

The five made their way out the village. Yuyake was teeming with excitement, this is it! They are really going on a mission! She smiles to herself as she does small dances to quietly release her energy.

"Yeah! Alright!" Naruto throws his fist to the sky. Glad to know there's someone as excited as Yuyake! "This is the first time I've ever left the village! I'm a traveler now, believe it!," The blond bundle of energy scouts the area for scenery or enemies.

"Hey, am I supposed to trust my life to this runt? He's a joke!" Tazuna frowns. "Seriously, did this village let anyone be a ninja?" The boy is clearly not taking this seriously, the man's _life_ is on the line!

Kakashi chuckles, "He's with me and I'm a Jonin, so there's no need to worry," The one-eyed ninja assures.

Yuyake feels rage emanate off Naruto, _"Why did we have to get this old geezer to guard? I'm gonna cut him down to size right now!"_ Naruto grumbles in his thoughts. "Hey!" he beckons the old mans attention. "Never insult a ninja, it's a big mistake! And I'm one of the greatest ninja ever!" The short Genin warns. "Someday I'm gonna be Hokage, and you'll look up to me! My name's Naruto Uzumaki! Remember it!," He adds for good measure.

Tazuna takes the boy's rambling as another opportunity to steal a swig of his liquor. "Hokage are powerful and wise, you are puny and brainless," he narrows his eyes at the boy "The day you become Hokage I'll sprout wings and fly," the elder throws back.

Yuyake silently whines. The sunset eyed kunoichi grabs Kakashi's arm and tugs on it while pointing ahead; she wants to go on their mission! And she wants to go now! She understands that the client is being a jerk, and Naruto is being hot headed, but the mission!

Kakashi looks down at her, then down the path ahead of them.

"We'll get going in a bit, don't worry," he lifts a hand but freezes midway. He isn't her father, granted he dated her mother, but that doesn't give him the right be intimate with another man's daughter, so, to cover his blunder, he brings the hand up to rub the back of his head.

The two are flung back into the conversation when Kakashi has to grab Naruto by the collar and stop him from attacking the client _again_. "I told you, you're supposed to protect the client, not attack him," Kakashi swears, it is like talking to a wall with this kid.

 _SCHIIIIHH!_

Yuyake's ear's perk. It is subtle, but she hears it. She looks up into some nearby foliage where the sound came from. " _Sounded like a disturbance in the trees…"_ She furrows her eyebrows, clearly concerned. _"Maybe I'll just check for malicious brainwaves,"_ She goes to close her eyes and focus when Kakashi places a hand on her shoulder, rooting her to reality.

"We're leaving," he states before walking ahead to join the others. Yuyake beams a twinkling-eyed smile and runs after them.

Finally!

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

The mute is still frantically looking around at the sites when they cross over a beautiful stream. _"look at all the fish!"_ she beams. They enter a more vegetation-thick area; lush green trees flow with the melody of birds. The specks of sunlight are appreciated and the gentle breeze rolls over her, pulling at her long black hair and stealing her inhibitions; She is at peace. She stops walking.

 _"I almost ran into a puddle…"_ she faces her still reflection and smiles. She looks, long and hard _. "Jeeze, I'm getting dark circles from all this late-night training."_ She inwardly sighs. With her mother's schedule, late night is the only time they can do it. But still! A breath leaves her brown lips as she hops over the puddle and catches up with everyone. Kakashi glances back at her and the puddle, slowing the girl's pace.

Something doesn't. . . _feel_ right. Yuyake can feel her gut twist. That can't be good. Maybe she should check for brain activity after all? She closes her eyes and slows her stride.

 _SPLASH!_

Yuyake looks back just as two ninja fly past her and launch at Kakashi. She points and watches in horror as Kakashi is caught, tied up in a shurican chain that connects the ninja. The mute's eyes widen.

"Do it!"

One calls and together they pull at the Jonin till his body shredded and implodes.

"K-Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto calls, and his utterance paints a target on his back. The ninja are behind him. Yuyake looks to Naruto. This isn't good! She speeds for the blonde. She has to help!

"You're next," they chuckle. But Sasuke is faster. He springs into the air and pins them by their chain with a single shurican and kunai.

"Huh?" the two look to where they are held.

"I can't get loose!" one growls.

Yuyake preps to scramble their minds with chakra, but Sasuke delivers a powerful kick to the two. The feat yanks Yuyake to a stop. He has Naruto, she should take care of the client. The enemy decouple their claws from the chain and split up: one running at Yuyake and the bridge builder while the other re-aims for Naruto. Yuyake is ready, she dips her fingers into her pouch, entangling them in ninja wire, then she pulls her hand to her mouth and uses her teeth to pick up the metal string.

This guy picked the wrong one.

She flickers between reality and the realm of waves. She sees it, the pulsations of light blue coming from her opponent, and she can feel all his turmoil and struggles press against her.

It hurts.

The way his waves slap against her, but the force isn't in his brain activity, it's like something else is doing the slamming and his waves are just a by-product. A glance at his head band makes it worse. The village hidden in the mist. Yuayke had to learn about their stupid methods, and they made her gag. The ferocity they forced into her opponent's mind; that isn't his fault. He isn't this way on purpose... He isn't evil on purpose. He isn't evil at all!

Her eyes widen.

This isn't right... she is supposed to be a good ninja attacking and defeating evil ones. But they're not evil... She can feel it: the camaraderie this ninja feels for his ally; he is glad they are able to fight together and glad they escaped all the murder and death of their home village. Glad to be alive.

How can she fight someone like that? Someone who is grateful to breathe and ecstatic he doesn't have to kill his closest friend?

Yuyake freezes, unsure how to crack the mirror that has been placed before her, and it shows: Her body quakes; her muscles weaken; and her resolve is drowned.

How can _he_ do it? Attack and kill someone who would have been his best friend in a different life? How... How can he not get that they are so similar? How can he not understand?

 _"Seek first to understand; then to be understood"_

It is in her mother's words that she finds the answer. He doesn't see someone similar to himself, because she isn't showing it. She isn't showing that she is happy to be alive and is willing to do what it takes to stay that way. She isn't showing that she has friends she will fight for. She isn't showing that she is willing to kill to keep her life as it is! He can not see the realm of waves like she can, nor can he hear her words. She has to show him.

And she will.

She understands him, understands that he is just another ninja doing what he thinks is best for his allies. Killing because he must to perserve his way of living. Yes, she understands.

And she'll make him understand, too.

Yuyake widens her stance to show him she is ready to bare weight of his life if she has to; she tenses her arms to show she is strong like he is. She hardens her gaze to communicate she is just as determined as him. The boy draws closer to her form, but he keeps his distance. Yuyake's fingers come together before pulling apart, wire stretching between her digits. She would be understood! If not by her words or mind, then by her actions!

 _"This'll reach him!"_ she whips back her wire, careful of Tazuna, just as Sasuke appears before her. _"What the? Sasuke! Move!"_ But mental cries mean nothing. The enemy extends his thick claws towards them.

 _BAM!_

Kakashi lets the offender run his own throat straight into the Jonin's arm. The attacker's eyes widen in pain, and Yuyake's cheeks puffed out. All that build up for nothing? Naruto looks up from his place on the ground to see the grey haired Jonin standing proud and strong.

"Hi,"

Yuyake's face burned red with anger _"DON'T YOU DARE SAY 'hi' ALL CASUAL AND AWESOME LIKE THAT! YOU AND SASUKE BOTH RUINED_ _ **MY**_ _AWESOME MOMENT!"_ She yells at the dark eyed Jonin and Genin from her head. Jeeze if she could talk! She thrashes her hands about to show she is clearly upset! But the two don't seem to care. Sasuke almost seems to find her enraged silence amusing, but his smirk dies when he observes his teacher's work.

 _"Hmph… show off"_ Sasuke grumbles with his own mind.

"Huh? But he was…" Naruto trails off as he sees the remains made earlier by the Jonin are just splintered wood. "What? Kakashi sensei used… the substitution Jutsu…"

"Naruto, Sorry I didn't help you Right away. I didn't mean for you to get hurt," Kakashi apologizes. "I just didn't think you'd freeze up like that," the Jonin continues before taking the attackers to tie them up under a tree.

Yuyake heards the bridge builder release a sigh. She looks back at him. _"Did he expect this?"_ she wonders, that look in his eyes is knowing...

"Good job Sasuke, very smooth; you too Yuyake," The grey haired Shinobi compliments. That only reminds the kunoichi about her anger. She thrashes her hands in the air to show how upset she is once more. Seriously! She just went through a whole mental thing! and these jerks go and waste it.

"Hey," Sasuke turns to the fuming Naruto.

"Yeah?" The blond looks up.

"You're not hurt are you? Scared-y cat," Sasuke smirks.

Naruto's face contorts in rage before he readies to charge at the boy. "Sasuske-"

"Naruto!" said boy turns to look at his sensei. "Stand still, these ninjas have poison in their claws. We need to take it out of you quickly," Yuyake stops at that and turns to Naruto; then she shoves Sasuke and he stumbles forward, catching himself and glaring back at her. Yuyake just shrugs, everyone punishes Naruto for being a knuckle head, right? Then why shouldn't the Uchiha be punished for being an instagator?

Naruto's face lightens slightly in recognition of Yuya's action. It's interesting really.. how relieving it is to finally see someone hold Sasuke to the same standards that he is...

Maybe Yuya is cooler than he thought.

"We need to open your wound to remove it, it's in your blood so don't move around," Kakashi warns, "That spreads the poison; By the way mister Tazuna," Said bridge builder jumps.

"Yeah, what?" the old man frowns, sweat crawling down his temple.

The Jonin only turns his head half way, "We need to talk," Kakashi walks toward a tree and set the chunnin down, propped up against the trunk, before tying them there. He turns to look at his team and changes.

His dark eye locks on Yuyake, who retreats inside herself and kicks at dust nervously. _"Yuyake can't communicate, and that's the worst in this sort of mission, she can sense enemy attacks faster than the rest of us, but if she can't speak to warn us of them; it puts this team at a disadvantage,"_ The Jonin ponders.

Yuyake looks at Naruto's wound _"It's my fault he got hurt…. If I could communicate…Naruto might not have been so unaware … and Sasuke wouldn't accidentally get in my way where it puts him at risk of being caught in the cross fire."_ She lets her head hang and her eye is cased in the shadow of her swayed bang while the visible eye fills with woe.

She's useless...

"They're chunnin from the village hidden in the mist," Kakashi starts. "They're specialty is relentless attack. They keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice," Kakashi glazes his eye over the two.

"How did you know about our ambush?" One asks, their masks stopping Yuyake from pin-pointing which one is speaking.

"A puddle. On a clear day, when it hasn't rained in weeks," Kakashi states. Yuyake remembers back to when she almost stepped in said puddle and how she checked her reflection in it and fixed her hair. Sweat runs down the back of her head. She was that close to the enemy?!

Tazuna frowns and looks to the Jonin, "In that case, why did you leave it to the Genin to do the fighting?"

Kakashi glares back at the bridge builder, "I could have taken them out easily, but then I would have learned nothing, I had to know who their target was and what they were after," His eye narrows dangerously.

"Huh? What are you getting at?" Tazuna's fist curls; has the young man figured him out?

"This: I wanted to know if they were after us, Ninja attacking Ninja, or if they were after you, the master bridge builder. When you put in your request, you said you asked for standard protection from robbers and highway men. You didn't say there were ninja looking for you, hunting you down. If we knew this, this would've been a B-ranked mission or higher. Our task was to simply get you to your destination and protect you while you built your bridge. If we knew we'd be fielding attacks, we would've staffed differently and charged for a B-rank mission. Apparently, you have your reasons, but lying to us is unacceptable, we are now beyond the scope of this mission." Kakashi explains.

Yuyake deflates. She really wanted this mission, even if they are beyond the scope, but Naruto's injury is her fault, and he comes before the mission. The guilty genin tugs on Kakashi's arm who looks down at her. She points her thumb behind herself; they should head back, and then she points to Naruto's wound.

Kakashi looks to the wounded boy.

"Naruto's hand could become a problem… I guess we should head back to the village," Kakashi doesn't sound too happy about this conclusion either. Yuyake nods in agreement until she hears metal slice through flesh. Her blood chills as she turns with wide eyes to see Naruto stabbing a Kunai into his cut.

He steps away from the other's, giving them his back: "Why am I so different?" Naruto grunts. "Why am I always? Hugh!" he frowns deeply.

Yuyake furrows her eyebrows, saddened. _"Naruto…."_

"I worked so hard to get here, pushing myself until it hurt! Training alone for hours… anything to get strong… to reach my dream…" The sadness drizzled in his voice infecting all who hear it. "I will never back down again and let someone else rescue me! I will never run away and I will not lose to either of my team... especially Sasuke… upon this wound, I make this pledge, believe it! Bridge builder, I will complete this mission and protect you with this kunai knife! A real ninja never gives up and neither will I," Naruto speaks. Never again will he be the weakest link… "Don't you worry about me, let's go!" Naruto turns to everyone to see a stoic Sasuke, a surprised Tazuna and Kakashi, and hysterical Yuyake who has fat tears of joy and admiration in her eyes.

 _"Darn, even Naruto got an awesome moment!",_ she sniffles and swipes the tears out her Sunset eyes.

"Uh, Naruto, that was really cool how you took the poison out and all, but uh, if you lose any more blood? You're going to die…" A pause fills with the sound of elated birds. Then Naruto goes thrashing about yelling how he can't die here.

Yuyake inwardly giggles and looks to where the Chunin are tied up; she walks a little closer. _"These guys dress really bad ass!"_ The two look at her as she gets a little closer.

"What hell? What do you want?" one demands. Yuyake would have openly complimented them on their dress but can't.

 _"Why is it that the bad guys get to dress so awesome?!"_ Yuyake sits a good three feet away from them and digs into her bag before finding her sketchbook and taking it and a pencil out. She looks at them and back down to the paper while moving the pencil over the page.

They growl at her.

"What are you doing!" the other speaks. Yuyake finally finishes after a long while and turns it so the two can see: It's a drawing of the two of them. Their eyes widened "What the… why?" Yuyake simply stands up and smiles, putting up her materials. It is then they look at her eyes. In response, their own lit up.

"You, your eyes, you're of the Bokuso-chi of the Leaf!"

Yuyake jumps slightly. How did everyone know!? This isn't right! The Bokuso-chi clan took care to make themselves disappear. she backs away, turning to catch up with her team that started back on the path to the land of waves.

This has to be her Cousin's doing. He is far too well known.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 _SWEEEAK_

 _SWEEAK_

 _SWEEAK_

Yuyake frowns as she sits back on the motorboat's seat with her arms crossed. She is excited to see the sights! But this dense fog prohibits her from doing such a thing. She looks at Naruto who sits in front of her, still trying to sight see in the cloud. Is everyone else as bored as the she is? She looks behind her at Sasuke who looks as stoic as ever, then to Kakashi, who is planted behind the Uchiha. She then sees Tazuna and behind him is the boat owner, who is creating that annoying squeak with the stroke of his Oar. _"This sucks….."_ The brown skinned girl huffs and let her fingers dangle in the water.

"The bridge isn't far now," the boat owner speaks above all other noise, but barely. Yuyake looks at his straw hat and simple clothing that resemble Tazuna's. "Our destination's just ahead: The Land of Waves." Yuyake no longer cares as she folds an arm and rests it on top the boad, laying her head on her bicep. The waves gently cradle them as it sings them a lullaby of splashes. Yuyake is dozing off to its tune. . .

"WHOA! It's huge!" The ball of energy explodes. Yuyake jumps up and pants clutching tightly to the boat's edge. He scared the crap out of her!

Sasuke inwardly smirks at the frightened girl, "That's what you get for falling asleep on the mission, idiot." Yuyake laid a hand on her chest to simmer her heart down. She snarls and slaps Naruto upside the head for waking her. He almost fell overboard from the shift in balance, forcing her grab his collar and sit him back down.

"Quiet! I told you no noise!" The Boatman whispers. "Why do you think we're traveling like this, huh? Cutting off the engine and rowing… moving through the dense fog, so they don't see us. Naruto covers his mouth with both hands at his blunder. Yuyake inwardly sighs at this.

"Mister Tazuna," Kakashi speaks up, "Before we reach the peer, I want to ask you something," The elder man looks up at the grey-haired ninja. "The men who are after you, I need to know why, and if you don't tell us, I'm afraid I'll have to end this mission when we get ashore," The leaf village Shinobi narrows his eyes to punctuate his threat.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

Yuyake thinks about what the bridge builder said. _"So the enemy is the short Gato gangster who exploits the land of waves and doesn't want the bridge to be built, because it would destroy his power."_ Yuyake sums up in her mind. Then she nods in understanding. Got it.

"That means, those guys we fought in the forest worked for Gato," Sasuke concludes and Yuyake nods furiously to show she agrees.

"I don't understand, if you knew he was dangerous and he'd send ninja after you, why did you hide that from us?" Kakashi presses. It just doesn't make sense, it would have gone so much smoother if he had just followed procedure.

"Because the land of waves is a small and impoverished nation, even our nobles have little money," Tazuna casts down his eyes, ashamed. "The common people who are building this bridge can't pay for an A or B ranked mission, it's too expensive. If you end this mission when we're ashore, there will be no bridge, they'll assassinate me before I reach home. But, don't feel bad about that. Of course my sweet little grandson will be upset. He'll cry: "Granddad! I want my Granddad!" He mocks the voice of a child. Yuyake's eyes water as he spoke. "Oh, and my daughter will denounce the Village hidden in the leaves for abandoning her father and living her life in sorrow.

Yuyake droops. _"Yeah… no pressure or guilt or anything…."_ She hangs her head.

"Well, I guess we have no other choice, we'll have to keep guarding you," Kakashi gestures his hand about. He wasn't really planning on leaving the geezer anyway…

"Oh, I'm very grateful," The old man speaks with a hint of triumph in it.

Yuyake huffs _"Manipulating old man!"_

Team seven gets a bit more time to observe the land and its layout before it comes to an end. "We're approaching the shore," The boatman informs. "Tazuna, we have been very fortunate, no one has noticed us."

"Good work" Tazuna compliments.

Yuyake looks at the boatman, why does he speak so formal? Yuyake looks forward as they enter a tunnel with lights going down the center of the top. Her heart quickens with excitement, her eyes sparking with wonder. Anticipation envelops her. What did the land of waves look like? Her eyes adjust to the lighting and the scene before her makes her lips curve into a smile.

 _"It's beautiful!"_ Trees are up to their skinny necks in water, showing only their thin branches with full heads of lush green. Beyond them are simple houses that are complimented by the equally simple scenery. It has a perfect combination; neither civilization nor nature rules this area alone, but together they are beautiful. It isn't long before they hit shore and Naruto is first to get off, then Yuyake, Sasuke, and so on. Yuyake relishes in the wondrous sites, this makes going through the fog worth it!

"That's as far as I go, be careful," the boatman tilts his hat.

"Thank you for taking such a risk," Tazuna nods in recognition, not too often you come across nice people like him. The boatman nods and starts up his motor before high-tailing out the area. They are here, and they got here without _too_ much trouble. The kunoichi swallows. Something big is bound to happen soon.

"Ok, take me to my home, and I mean get me there in one piece," The bridge builder orders.

"Right," They turn and walk on with Naruto in the lead, as usual. Yuyake chooses to hang back with Kakashi, she just feels he is so awesome, like her cousin!

 _"The next ninja they send won't be chunin, they'll be Jonin, elite ninja with deadly skills…. And Yuyake not being able to speak, Naruto's freezing up, and Sasuke's loner ways might be the down fall of this team…"_ Kakashi a dark murk fills his head. No way are they ready...

Bird songs lure team seven into a sense of uneasy tranquility. The Genin walked up to be further ahead of the pack. Yuyake watches as Sasuke walks ahead of Naruto _"Oh boy, here goes the instigating,"_ Yuyake shakes her head, and when she looks back up, Naruto is cuddling a small, white bunny he frightened with a kunai. _"Naruto managed to mess up in 8 seconds, that's a new record,"_ Yuyake gives a coy smile while she places her hand over her smile.

"All this fuss over a rodent?" the old man grumbles. Yuyake looks at the small thing. It looks so frightened with its agape mouth, stiffened posture, and widened eyes.

 _"That's a snow rabbit and its color, they only have white fur during the winter when the days are shorter and little sunlight…"_ Kakashi looks behind him. This isn't looking good. _"This rabbit was raised indoors away from the light which could only mean it's for one purpose, a substitution jutsu."_ Kakashi moves from the others, and looks around them.

Yuyake jerks to a halt. It happens for the second time: Brainwaves…. rapid and sinister, and they're crashing against her conscious as if they seek to override it and take over her mind. The small girl grabs her arms. _"Someone's coming! Someone insanely strong and dangerous"_ She stumbles away from the group, but they haven't noticed, the bunny is too distracting. _"I-I need to warn them! B-but I can't… I can't speak!"_ What is she to do?

Kakashi looks at the girl and narrows his eyes. "So he's already here…"

Yuyake pauses as she hears movement _"He's coming! I-I have to-"_ She looks to Naruto and her mind is plagued by images of when he froze up and her legs propel her forward towards him _. "NARUTO GET DOWN!" _

Naruto looks up "Who said-" He is cut off as Yuyake tackles him to the ground.

"Look out!," Kakashi shouts to his team

 _Whoarh!_

 _WHoarh!_

 _WHOArh!_

 _WHOARH!_

* * *

 **This Chapter Has been edited! please comment! or not!**


	6. The Oaf that was broken

"Talking"

" _Thoughts" and sound effects_

" _Telepathic speech"_

 **PREVIOUSLY:**

Yuyake paused as she heard a movement _"He's coming! I-I have to-"_ She looked to Naruto and she briefly remembered when he froze up and her legs propelled her forward towards him. "Look out!," Kakashi shouted to his team. _"NARUTO GET DOWN! "_ Naruto looked up "Who said-" He was cut off as Yuyake tackled him to the ground.

 _Whoarh!_

 _WHoarh!_

 _WHOArh!_

 _WHOARH!_

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 6: The Oaf that was broken**

 _Clhing!_

A large sword implanted into the course bark of a tree. It was at least 6ft long and the blade was slender, 1ft wide, and took up 4 of the 6ft of the entire stucture. Yuyake's eyes went from the tip to the man standing on its handle. He was tall and muscular and- _"He dresses bad ass too! Seriously! What's up with the bad guys looking awesome?!"_ Yuyake mentioned in her head. The man had greyish skin of with exposed torso and baggy white and black were on his calves and he had pants, a lash of material over his chest, probably to store his weapon. His messy hair of dark spikes was hope to a crooked head bang, and his face was covered from the nose down in bandages.

Yuyake got more serious, " _This is the man I sensed…."_ She could still feel his brainwaves… they were brutal. Everyone stood to their feet by now, but Naruto was so confused. "Kakashi sensei, did you hear that?" he asked, was that some attack from the enemy? Kakashi felt it was worth addressing: "Hear what?" though he kept his eyes on the attacker. "A-a girl's voice! I-it was in my head, it was young, it told me, to get down" Naruto relayed. Kakashi pondered and his Silence annoyed the genin "Well?" There was a chuckle, "You're lucky, you were the first person to hear your teammate speak," Kakashi informed him.

Naruto's eyes widened. He what? " _It's me, Yuyake…_ " Naruto jumped and turned to look back at the black haired girl who waved. _"I can talk now! "_ She beamed, though it dwindled when she felt her chakra part in waves. Naruto "But your lips didn't move…." He was soooo confused. Yuyake seemed to giggle, and simply waved the subject off for later. Naruto nodded, turning back to the man.

He wouldn't let Sasuke show him up this time. "Well, well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi, rogue ninja from the village hidden in the mist," Kakashi spoke to the attacking man. A boy ready to prove himself ran toward Zabuza only to have a hand stop him. "You're in the way, get back," Kakashi warned, Naruto was nowhere near ready for this. "But why?" The blonde frowned, was everyone determined to get in his way of glory? "He's nothing like those other ninja; he's in a whole other league. If he's our opponent, I'll need this," The grey haired Jonin reached for his head band. The Genin watched with shock, they had assumed that he only had the one eye, but there was something behind his headband?

"This could be treacherous…" Kakashi was wary of Zabuza, after what he'd done…. How could he not? "Kakashi of the Sharingan eye…. Did I get that right?" Zabuza's voice sent chills through Yuyake. "It's too bad, huh, but you'll have to hand over the old man," He twisted his waist to survey the trash at his feet. _"What… did he say Sharingan?! How could Kakashi-sensei get his hands on one of those? The Uchiha clan is..."_ Yuyake tried to formulate a plan _"I don't think I'm ready for this guy…. But We have to protect that bridge builder…."_ She felt like all the formations they knew were useless here, well she knew a few… but only Bokuso-chi could complete them properly…Elite ones.

"Now quick! Monji formation, Protect the bridge builder, and stay out of this fight" Kakashi Ordered. The smind speaker nodded, that one might actually work, "I taught you teamwork, now it's time you use it," finally he pulled his headband away from his eye and Yuyake almost jumped at the sight of the red pupil with the 3 commas surrounding the iris. So he really did have a Sharingan…. "I'm ready," Kakashi greeted his opponent.

"Well, looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action, this, is an honor." Zabuza turned completely, still on his sword's thin handle. He was ready too. "Everyone keeps saying Sharingan, Sharingan! Will someone please tell me what Sharingan is!?"

"Sharingan, it's a rare power that resides in the eyes, the user of this visual Jutsu, or Doujutsu, can instantly see and copy any Genjutsu, Taijutsu, or Ninjutsu and reflect it back at the attacker. Sharingan is a rare type of Doujutsu, however, there's much more to it than that." Sasuke answered the cry of oblivion. "You got it right boy, but you've only scratched the surface," Zabuza praised. The boy was sharp, he'd give him that, "Sharingan can analyze an opponent's attack, then copy it to the smallest detail.

Yuyake watched as the air around them thickened to a dense mist. _"What's going on?"_ She watched her Teammates disappear before her. Quickly she closed her eyes and let their familiar frequencies enter her conscious. They hadn't moved. "As for you Jonin, in the assassination unit of the hidden mist, we had a standing order to destroy you on sight. Your profile is in our bingo books, they call you the man who's copied over a thousand Jutsu…Kakashi, the copy ninja," Zabuza's voice pierced through the fog.

"Enough talking, I need to exterminate the old man, now," The forgotten Tazuna tensed at this statement. It was then the Genin remembered their sensei's orders, they all took out a kunai and moved to cover the client. Yuyake on the builder's right, Naruto the left, Sasuke alert and in the middle. They were ready.

Zabuza had moved to be in a crouching position as he regarded his new target. "So I'll have to kill you first, aye Kakashi?" Zabuza was elated, he was hoping for a good fight, sure the pay was nice, but the fights were really what he lived for. "So be it," In a flash, Zabuza used his foot to free his Sword and had disappeared into the mist.

Then Yuyake saw him "He's over there! Standing on the water!" Naruto called. The mist shinobi stood with one arm up and two fingers pointing and his other hand in the same position at his chest, "Ninja art, Hidden mist Jutsu!" Zabuza Shouted to the heavens. Yuyake dug into her years of Bokuso-chi studies for information on the jutsu. She didn't need to dig far, it was obvious when the vapor further multiplied. Dang she couldn't even see the bridge builder.

Kakashi's chakra seemed to eat the mist about them hungrily. The brisk breeze it thrashed filled Yuyake's lungs with oxygen and her blood with excitement. Oh what a rush, reminded her of training with mom. But apparently she was the only one feeling nastalgic. A glance to Sasuke and he seemed like there was a building pressure in his chest, so unbearable that he was ready to self relieve with a kunai through his flesh.

A cat-ish smile curled on her lips _. " What's wrong, Uchiha? A little chakra got you shaking in your ninja gear?" _The way the words licked at his head like a teasing Cheshire disgusted the boy and snapped him out his stupor. "Shut it, Bokuso-chi," Their jonin gave a furtive smile, nice of her to help a teammate. Still, he gave them all a promise of protection.

"Don't be so sure," the rumble snapped the promise with its proximity. Instantly, Naruto and Sasuke cleared while Yuyake found her kunai in the man's shoulder. When she noticed her folly, the heiress jumped out the way like her teammates. When she turned, Kakashi had hold of the weapon she'd left in the water clone, the switch happening so fast it looked like Kakashi had stabbed him. Yuyake sighed. Why was she so stupid? she had been doing so well with covering up for years, then, her first mission, she almost blew it.

Maybe she should just be quiet for the rest of the mission? The idea was kicked out her head with kakashi as he flew in air, then it was drowned when her sensei was captured in a water prison. " _Why is it, that now in days,"_ she stepped forward, spinning a kunai on her index finger _"I just can't seem to keep myself back?"_ Her hands clutched into fists. Sitting out this fight could put her team and her life in so much peril... But going at it strong could put her entire family at risk...

As an heiress, she needed to put her clan first.

She needed to be out this battle... else she'd blow it. She took the kunai and charged, using all her training to do everything wrong. A trip got her a punch in the face, a faulty swing almost got her a broken neck, and a messy dive got her what she wanted: her head slammed into tree and her world painted black.

"Yuyake!" her team mates shifted focus.

Those fading word put Yuya under a heavy, dark sleep.

 **~X~**

 _"I'm up"_ Yuyake snapped awake. Looking around, she saw said grey haired male was actually free. _"whoa..."_ She scrambled up and scurried over to Sasuke as Naruto was in the water, excited, _"Did you guys do that!?"_ she asked the nearly submerged comrade. A red powdered his cheeks, "Yeah, it was all, my idea" the smug in his voice wasn't missed. Tazuna huffed, "It was a fluke," he insisted. Sasuke nodded in agreement as he moved to guard the old man, Yuyake following suit.

Then the real fight began.

The elixir of life became the barer of death, and protectors of villages became destroyers of protectors. Together they riled tides above the heads of the children, almost sweeping the girl away, if not for her male anchor. It was a trial where the judge was blood, the jury was skill, and the only verdicts were life or death.

With every move, Kakashi grew closer to vowing his opponent's expiration. Just when it seemed like Zabuza was to be married to his end, an objection occurred. Another voice entered and Yuyake was sure it was a boy about her age. He was dressed more humbly in orange and green draping cloths and a mask she was sure belonged to the hidden mist's anbu. He paralyzed Zabuza with needles in the neck, but that's all the guy did. Paralyze him, Zabuza still had those horrid brainwaves but the guy said he killed him. he grabbed the body and Yuyake ran forward, _"He's lying!"_ she spoke to Kakashi. but the boy shot senbon at her feet and was gone.

Kakashi turned to his student. "I had a feeling he was... but we have other matters to attend to," there was something wrong, it seemed like he was more so addressing the boys, ignoring the Bokuso-chi altogether. Yuyake noticed, _"Kakashi sensei...?"_ brown shoulders slumped and moisture from the fog roll away from her, like they're disappointed.

Then Kakashi crumbled to the ground.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

Yuyake entered the home of the bridge builder, _"We need help! please!"_ she called to those of the household. In the distance, there was a breaking of glass. Tazuna called out and this time, they were greeted by his daughter. "Oh, it's you! I heard this-" "Our sensei needs help!" Naruto spouted. It took a second, but she noticed the man in question. When he's settled, The daughter turned to her father, "I heard this small child's voice in my head right before you spoke earlier. _"Oh that was me!"_ Yuyake tugged on her skirt as punctuation and it was like she saw a mouse. "O...oh..." Yuyake pulled her hand into her chest, cradling it like it'd been burned.  " _I... I can stop..."_ she offered, noticing the discomfort. The the dark haired woman leaned over to regard the girl. It looked like her face had fallen lower than her spirits.

"I'm sorry, I just, I don't know if I can deal with a voice that's not mine popping up randomly in my thoughts. I hope you understand," Yuyake nodded. Naruto didn't like the fact she was cutting off Yuya's tongue, but he could understand her discomfort with it. Especially since he wasn't sure if Yuyake could hear his thoughts when she talked to him...

 **~X~**

Yuyake brought a cup of water to her teacher's bedside, on her way, she attracted Sasuke and Naruto. When they entered the room, they were surprised to see the man of the hour awake. She floated to his side, her hair lingering in her wake. Naruto spoke next, "Alright! The sensei is up," The grey haired man erased the brown-skinned girl from his sight. "I over did my sharingan," was all he said. As he continued to speak to all but her, she took it as her dismissal. Yuyake set the water down and got up, leaving the room. The only one who seemed to notice the treatment was Sasuke, but deemed it insignificant.

Meanwhile, Yuyake was outside. "Yuyake?" She jumped. That voice. She looked around "Up" the voice commanded. There, in the trees was an anbu in tight black clothes, it was a girl, with a mask of a cat, hair short and red.

The mute kunoichi stood to her feet and glanced around before throwing herself in the lush tree with the ninja. _"Of all the times to run into my sister, it would be on my first mission"_ the aunbu gasped at the genin, "Oh my gosh you're talking!" Yuyake smiled and nodded, "When did this happen?" _"Like a couple days ago? " _ the younger girl deemed with pride. "That means you couldn't have been training for more than a month... Wow..." Yes! She had impressed her sister, though she realized she didn't have the chakra control to do it often. Unlike herself, the sister's words were actually aloud. You see if one has the gift, there are expected abilities, a general list: being able to mind scramble with chakra, heal, talk, etc. The truly gift tend to take a particular aspect to an extreme. Her sister was able to convert her brainwaves to audio waves. Some called it 'universal brain wave frequency' making her words hear-able, when she chose.

 _"What are you doing here?!_ " Yuyake finally inquired when it seemed her sister wasn't going to volunteer. At this, her sister shifted, "You should know I can't really tell you..." she was hiding something. _"Akane?"_ Said red head tensed, " _Trust me I want to tell you._ I said no" she was switching between both; she's being watched... _" They would figure it out if i told_. Telling you about any of my missions is forbidden. _Just please, watch your back, stay alert, and keep your head down._ I've to go, love you sis," the two share a parting hug, but the peek it gave into the worry deep with Akane was unsettling to Yuyake. _" Our cousin is trying to help, but he's kicking up dirt in the process and its about get in your face," _she added and she was gone. Yuyake could still feel the warmth of her sister's body on the insides of her arms.

"Yuyake! Yuyake come on! Kakashi- sensei is about to train us!" Those injuries didn't stop him from teaching the three how to climb a tree with concentrated Chakra? After demonstrating, the Jonin watched his pupil atempt and watched 2 fail: Sasuke and Naruto.

Yuyake took some steps back and inhale a large gulp. Her feet carried her up the rough bark as if it were her god-given right. she decided to show off a little since she usually doesn't get to. She front flipped onto a branch and backflipped onto another before she snapped the branch in a pounce, 25 feet up she slammed her feet back on the forgiving trunk and sprinted to the top. Tossing herself to sit on the sturdiest branch she could find up there, she waved at those below who had shrunken back with distance.

 _"Whoop!"_ Yuyake threw a peace sign. Sasuke grumbled a "Show-off!" but the victor merely shrugged. She stood on her branch of sucess only for it to snap beneath her ego.

Kakashi watched as she landed upon the grass with the grace most ninjas possess, then shifted his attention to his other pupil. It's not long before the heiress and the adult orphan head inside to leave the two training.

Over all, it was a pretty mundane time, Naruto and Sasuke were in competition, and furtively they included the brown-skinned girl. Naruto gave some advice to the grouchy grandson about heros. Yuyake was caught staring out the window and an Uchiha turned to her, "What?" His voice made her jump; he seemed to talk so little for someone who could do it freely. So sometimes his voice was a shock to her.

She just frowned into the night. Sasuke took a look out the window, not really searching for anything, still he turned to her, "It was probably an animal," Yuyake looked at him like that was the dumbest thing he'd ever said; Then she threw her hands up and walked away, _"This is why you're an Uchiha"_ she went out the front door. She knew it wasn't very safe to go out with rogue ninja scurrying about like mice, but she just didn't want to stay inside.

And that's how the week pasted, with Naruto and Sasuke training, Yuyake pondering, and Kakashi ignoring her. The last night was when she'd had enough. In the dead of night, she approached the Copy ninja. _"Why are you ignoring me? I know you hear me when I speak to you_ " she frowned.

They were in the backyard, Moonlight watching the scene unfold. Kakashi turned his back away from the girl and she was punished with the cold stare of a man who had seen death in the face and was furious the being hadn't come for him yet. The girl shrunk back. "I try to limit my contact to my team and those involved in my mission." was what he said. a rock fell in her throat. _"But.. I'm part of the team and the mission..."_ She was looked down upon like _she_ was the man who slaughtered her entire class for graduation. "You threw yourself at Zabuza like an idiot, making mistakes even Naruto wouldn't when he isn't serious. You purposely knocked yourself out of the fight," he stated. when the mute didn't respond, he continued. "One of your teammates could have died from such a reckless action, but you felt it more important to play the idiotic newbie, if you're so desperate to be weak, why become strong in the first place?" his hands were in his pockets but it didn't hide that they were clamped into tight fists.

 _"I have to think of my people! I don't want them dead or missing because I wasn't willing to hold back in a fight I'm sure is going to end in a survivor..."_ her hair suddenly elongated and gained defined waves, when her eyes relinquished the ground from their hard, scared gaze, they no longer look like a day's end. Instead they faded from purple to blue. She body developed to that of a teen and Kakashi's regressed to a younger age. He was back in his aubu days and in a forest The grey haired anbu looked about himself where bodies of allies and enemies mixed. If she had just fought seriously...

"No, What's wrong with you? You killed them and you could have killed me! You almost got yourself killed too," she stepped back _"W-what? I... I meant to... to help, It seemed like the greater good! My people... I-I'm an heiress..." _ she shoulder slumped, letting her guilt roll off her in waves. "As far as I'm concerned, you're off the team as soon as we get back,"

Those eyes, the eyes he'd fallen in love with; they looked at him: briliant with tears and dull with sadness. _"No! Kakashi! I can do it, I can fight seriously, I can stop abandoning my team, please..."_ his eyes narrowed. "No, good luck on your new team, Yoru," In that instant, the woman of his dreams reverted back to his pupil. Yuyake's eyes widened, _"My... my mother betrayed you the same way..."_ she concluded. Kakashi didn't respond, only looked down at her like a corpse.

It... really was over after this mission...

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

They, Sasuke, Yuyake, Tazuna and Kakashi, were on the bridge-in-progress when they were next attacked by Zabuza and his aparent lackey. As it was before, Kakashi ordered them into formation and the air about them thickened with water vapor. But something was different, or at least Yuyake thought so. She kept seeing things in the distance, it caught her attention since she couldn't see poop in the area around her last time.

The dashing objects didn't seem to bother Sasuke, and more importantly it didn't seem to put Kakashi on edge. So if he wasn't worried, maybe it was nothi-

What was that?! She squinted to clear the distance. There was something... orange there. Within the barely visible orange spot, there was a flash of red. Yuyake went to lean forward and get a better look until Zabuza was before her. She gasped and slashed her kunai at him and charged mind scrambling charkra in her fist when he dodged. The force in her blow threw her out of formation but she landed her hit. Instinctially, the confused Zabuza launched a kick at her and she grabbed his leg only to be flung farther from her from team. She got up and looked around.

Oh crap, the fog made it impossible to tell directions. She had no idea were she'd come from, _"SASUKE!"_ she connected, looking in the direction she thought might be where she came from. Back at the formation, he couldn't tell the distance of her cries. Confused, He turned to where he was pretty sure the Bokuso-chi dobe was in the formation. "Yuyake?" he called back.

"Yuyake! Yuyake this way!" she heard her team call back in the opposite direction she was facing. The brown skinned kunoichi about-faced and sprinted off to their voices. Naruto must have caught up. She would have called for Kakashi sensei but she didn't want to distract him while he fought. Besides, her teammates got her. The 12 year old stopped when she was sure she had run far enough to reach them. _"They couldn't have been further than right here"_

"Yuyake! We're over here! Where are you?" the lost girl frowned, how had she misjudged the distance? She was known for having great hearing, and she could usually perfectly pin point a sound's origin. But she was off... like way off. Whaever, this wasn't the time to be thinking about her skills. She sped off but stopped when she walked into water. How...? Oh geeze! She had been flung really far if she needed to cross water... She summoned the chakra into her feet soles and dashed over the liquid. How could Zabuza spread the fog this far and not be out of Chakra?

Back with the others, Sasuke frowned, why hadn't Yuyake answer him when he asked what was wrong. He turned to where she must be, "Yuyake?" he reached out, "What? Oh man. We've got a problem!" Sasuke jolted and turned to the battle. At this Zabuza chuckled deeply, "Lost one your runts, huh?". "What did you do to my student!?" Kakashi's ferosity growled forward. It was actually Haku who answered, "She ran off. At first she was slashing her kunai around at nothing, then she just left," he informed.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 _"There they are!"_ Yuyake smiled when she saw her team, _"Naruto! I'm right here!"_ the jinguriki turned to her and smiled, "There you are!" he extended a hand to her and seemed relieved. The girl jumped, a little excited to see him after being lost in the middle of such a dangerous fight. The moment her brown arms encased his neck, hell broke loose. Her eyes reopened after closing in jovial spirits.

Where was the mist?

She looked around. She was in the middle of the water with no land in sight and it was as clear as day. She turned back to Naruto to ask him about the anomaly, but... Naruto, wasn't there...

in his place were a set of legs coated in a drapping black cloth with red clouds on it. _"No..."_ her heart stopped. her hands gripped the clothing in disbelief and fear.


	7. Don't hold back

**A/N: Yuro and Kakashi have a story, it's conjoined with this and hops around, chapters of it will only update when the event in the chapter occurs at the same time, before or after a chapter of this story. "The heart of a mother"**

 **...**

 **I think this 2 a weekk thing will keep happening...**

 **don't quote me on that.**

"Talking"

 _"thoughts" and sound effects_

 _"Telepathic speech"_

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 _ **Previously**_

 _"There they are!"_ Yuyake smiled when she saw her team, _"Naruto! I'm right here!"_ the jinguriki turned to her and smiled, "There you are!" he extended a hand to her and smiled, and jumped, a little excited to see him after being lost in the middle of such a dangerous fight. The moment her brown arms encased his neck, hell broke loose. She opened her eyes from her close-eyed smile. Where was the mist?" She looked around. she was in the middle of the water with no land insight and it was as clear as day. She turned back to Naruto to ask him about the anomaly, but... Naruto, wasn't there...

in his place was a a set of legs coated in a draping black cloth with red clouds on it. _"No..."_ her heart stopped. her hands gripped the clothing.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 7: Don't hold back**

She threw herself from him and turned to run. Gloved hands snatched the frightened kunoichi up and turned her towards himself, he forced her arms into the sides of her rib cage. Those sunset colored eyes shot open during their owner's struggles and revealed to her the inevitable. That orange mask swirled into an empty hole of blackness. Just as she registered the sight, she felt the wind drawing her hair in the emptiness.

 _"Oh my gosh! I'm going to die!"_ The pull strengthen, slurping her up like a noodle, and she was yanked into its source. and everything went black, literally. She was also falling. Yuyake threw her shoulder to turn around. Below her was this pyramid of large white blocks that stair stepped for an eternity it seemed. She flipped to land on her feet before turning around her person. There was no one else here.

Her heart fell into her stomach, as if the new found loneliness was worse than drowning in acids. The blacks and whites blurred with tears. Where was she? How was she suppose to get home? What about her mom and family? Her knees caught her. Was she supposed to starve to death? There were no plants or animals! With a blink, her tears abandoned her eyes for the odd flooring below her.

Trembling lips of the hopeless parted with silenced whimpers. Why was this happening? Was it punishment?

That didn't seem too far fetched, the way she abandoned her team on the field after they loved and accepted her. They were as important as family, yet she forsook them for a .05% variance in DNA.

 _RwAOH!_

Her hands snatched the tears from her eyes in time to see an opening ontop a square 4 feet ahead of her. _"A way out!"_ She jumped to her feet and dashed for it until a familiar black and red material fluttered out its mouth. There was an echoing screech as her feet break, reverse, and drive all at once. Her black clothed back threw her against a square to hide.

The man stepped through and looked around, he was sure she would have fallen somewhere around here... Oh, of course, she was hiding. "You can hide as long as you want, eventually you'll come out on your own accord." Yuyake's body shook, laughing at her own cowardice. "I bet you're curious about your team, Zabuza Momochi and his brat are a strong duo," he spoke and the it's truth. For all the secrets she'd held from them since the squad was formed; she cared for them and worried about their safety...

Even the Uchiha...

 _"I'm sure the way you abandoned them on the field spoke volumes of your worry"_ a voice in her mind tortured her. She deserved it.

A snap of patient fingers and another opening appeared, displaying her team's struggle. "It'll be just like you were there, since you wouldn't have done anything," he stated to the air. The words were a slap to the face. It disgusted her that a complete stranger was passing judgement, but he was right. As little the girl hoped he knew about her, he had pegged her stupid clan's philosophy on the nose.

Screw this guy!

Just he and everyone could just wait, when she got out of here, she wouldn't be a repeat offender. The last part nicked her.

 _If_ she got out of here.

Furtively, the girl twisted to her knees and peered over the crease of the square to watch.

Anger!

It twisted around Naruto in growling chakra and Yuyake could feel the darkness in his mind.

He wanted to kill someone.

At his feet was Sasuke and around them are mirrors of ice. That Anbu guy! It was him!. Naruto broke the slivers made of ice chakra and devoured his opponents life force, drawing forth his day of doom. The boy's eyes were blood pools with a slit of black and the observer can't help but tremble at the fox likeness he took on. The long haired boy attempted defense, but his strategies were useless against the vendetta of the boy. So when his mask crumbled, he fought no more. He did not raise another senbon. He didn't one-handed-ly form another jutsu. He just accepted his fate, content with what he'd spent his life doing.

Protecting.

It killed Yuyake to know the enemy had better intentions than herself when it came to teammates. When a change of heart led to boy of ice taking a fatal blow for Zabuza, the girl was ashamed...

She was so selfish.

She trained to be strong only to allow all those around her to die or succumb to hate. What sense did that make? The demon of the mist wept for his companion and soon he too was vanquished.

The peep hole was shut, and it left the girl to her self-battering. She was way more like Zabuza than Haku, and that shouldn't be. She shouldn't wait to the day all who cared for her were dead to reveal herself. Her mind became a stupor of harsh thoughts. They battered her for her evil soul and chocked her for her physical silence.

Her shaking loosened the tears in her eyes, and they fall into her cupped palms. It was to mask the sound. each drop carried and inhibition from her body: Expectations, Self-preservation, Pessimism. They drain slowly and when they're gone, she patched the dam with a rub of the eyes.

Just they wait, She was going to cherish the heck out of her team. She'd fight for them and all others she loved. She'd fight so she'd never have to see that look in Naruto's eyes again. She'd fight so Sasuke would never fall in battle. But she wouldn't only fight, she'd strengthen them. It was meaningless to withhold her strength for only her battles, She wanted to empower them so they could protect each other when she wasn't around.

Gosh. she couldn't believe it took a stranger to open her eyes.

 _"Kakashi, I understand now... will you forgive me?"_

 **~X~**

How long had she been here? Hours? Days? Weeks? definitely not months. The man was simply sitting leisurely, not once had he come looking for her. She had been in the same place and she had fallen asleep a few times, disorientating her sense time. The girl sighed lightly, she hated to admit it, but she needed to come out. In particular she needed to see what he wanted so she could either die or leave.

A grimace kissed her lips, she hated how comfortable she'd gotten with the idea of expiring she'd come here. She was only 12 years old, and ninja or not, she should still be thinking she's invincible. A pang cut off her inner thoughts. That's another reason she needed to come forth; it was only so long she could hush the rumbles her stomach. When she would fail to do that, it would be over anyway, _"I might as well come out on my own terms..."_ A sigh cooled her flaming nerves, but the nerves in her leg were stubborn and dead, rooting her in place.

The girl grew frustrated and slammed her fist into the limbs like they were pieces of tough meat. _"Wake Up! Wake. Up! Wake- Ow!"_ seemed like they're awake now... She flung herself onto her feet and turned almost simultaneously. The man has already adjusted his attention to her and it made her inwardly shrink back. Still, she created fists with her hands and a hard look with her face.

Steadily, she approached, and as she did she noticed that he did not move. Though they were clearly on opposite sides of the spectrum, good and evil, he didn't move. His butt stayed planted into the white floor, and his legs remained crossed. Yuyake tried not to let his demeanor tinker her own. She stood before him with a look that beckoned his intentions, and there is silence...

After some time the male finally spoke. "You aren't going to speak? I already know you can," was his choice of words. When no voice of the puny child invaded his thoughts, he tilted his chin in recognition, "Right, Bokuso-chi are forbidden to connect to an enemy of high malicious intent because connecting to someone likens the Bokuso-chi's personality to that of the person they connect with. Scared then?" He relayed and it made Yuyake want to punch his stupid mask for knowing such a specific detail.

Still there was no response from the girl and a chuckle scratched at the Bokuso-chi's pride, but she was not dumb enough to speak. Instead she narrowed her eyes and the man figured she wanted, still, he did not tell her. A gloved hand lifted from a knee to voyage into the black cloak. When it returned, it bared a bag with a few dumplings within its grasp and offered it to the starved girl. She looked about it warily, _"Well... if it's poisoned I die and if I don't eat it I'll die so..."_ the gift was received, and Yuyake ate standing up, shoving them in her face in a way it seemed like she was never taught the proper manners of an heiress.

The man watched her feast with amusement and disgust, mostly disgust cause it was kinda gross... Once finished, she searched the empty bag for more and when its emptiness was confirmed, she shoved her hand in the man's face. He looked from her digits to her countenance, hoping to get her to speak for what she wished... No luck...

"More? What makes you so sure I have more?" He quizzed, surprised slightly by how demanding the small ninja could attempt to be when she was hungry. Yuyake pointed to her nose and then re-extended her palm. Ah, she could smell it. He ventured into his cloak once more and produced a meal Yuyake hadn't seen before, but she took it anyway and swallowed it whole. Of course she was going to milk him for all the food he had, it was his fault she needed it. When the meaty meal was in her stomach, the girl deepened her inhales and leaned closer to the male. He had to have more.

In response, the male placed a finger on her forehead and pushed her cranium back on top her shoulders. A frown from the girl was the only warning he got before she pounced forward into the depths of his clothing, but as fast as she entered, he snatched her out. The short time was all she needed as her retreating form housed a plate of dango. How was he even keeping this food warm? The man seemed defensive about the dish, "No, that's mine," he reached for the plate only to be bitten. It took a moment for the shinobi to process the motion. A ninja had bit him...

What do guide books say to do about that?

...

"Let go" he ordered, she did, only so she could down the dish in her hands. She carefully picked the sticks out the bushy mess in her cheeks. The man just dropped her and she stood when she was done swallowing. A small smile graced her lips and the irritated male stood, dusting off crumbs that were no doubt her fault. "Full?" he asked. When the girl gave a small nod, man looked to her "Good," he grabbed the front her shirt and flung slammed her back onto the ground, stealing her air. The shock was short, she twisted her body and his arm and snatched herself away, looking at the man. "Fight me," he connected a kick and they're locked in combat.

The small girl flung her weight behind her blows and the male pulled his punches. They dodge and clash, rarely ever hitting the other. The girl would curl up his body to attack the head and slammed into his legs to level him and in response he'd fling her about and smash her with his gravity's pull. Kunai were spat and shurricans flung. They trade blow for blow like choreography and they have it memorized to the last kick. Hands flew and chakra-enforced paralysis was challenged by fire. Rods erupt from flesh but stolen senbon chased with wire frolic only to be used to beckon their conductor.

She was held in his grasp. During the battle, Yuyake had felt alive. Her blood stampeded through her veins and her heart stuttered with anticipation. And if everything had been speeding before, now it jostled to a sluggish pace. His demeanor had changed... A lot and Yuyake didn't like it. Before it was like they were sparring? But more dangerous? Now he seemed to have his malicious edge back.

He would continue this, but his internal clock reminded him he was almost late for a meeting. Dang... This would have lasted for a few more rotations of the clock, but she held out on showing herself waaaaay longer than he'd expected of her, and that had ruined things. A hole opened beneath the dangling girl and he dropped her. The altitude she was losing was frightening. One moment she was fighting, gaining a couple new battle scars, the next she's banished back into the world of light and it burned her eyes in jealousy. She turned around and noticed just how friggin' high she was. The trees looked like ants!

Drawing closer, she was heading for the water and she got ready to swan dive for it.

She slipped between the liquid and thrashed for her element. Her head breached and it calmed her a bit. But only a bit.

Looking around, she was where he'd abducted her from...

She looked about herself and decided to search for familiar brainwaves. They were found and Yuyake raced off to them.

 **~X~**

It was the grandson and he looked shocked to see her. "Hey, what are you doing here? Your team spent forever looking for you, then they suspected you had left back home and headed there still looking! What are you doing here?" Yuyake was quiet. They completed the mission and searched for her _and_ headed home? _"How long was I gone!?"_

Panic befriended her mind and it pondered what to do. _"Do I head home? That's dangerous... I could run into a lot of trouble that way... I can't stay here they don't have messenger birds to send for the leaf village..."_ looked like she'd have to take the risk...

Nodding to the boy, she turned to start for her village, a sense of dread licking at the back of her mind. Lets hope she would make it back in one piece..


	8. Friends or Foes

"Talking"

 _"Sound effects and thoughts"_

 _"Telepathic speech"_

 **~X~X~X~ A SWITCH IN SCENES**

 **~X~ A change in time and possibly scene as well**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Previously**

Panic befriended her mind and it pondered what to do. _"Do I head home? That's dangerous... I could run into a lot of trouble that way... I can't stay here they don't have messenger birds to send for the leaf village..."_ looked like she'd have to take the risk...

Nodding to the boy, she turned to start for her village, a sense of dread licking at the back of her mind. Lets hope she makes it back in one piece..

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 7: Friends or foes**

 _"This was a TERRIBLE IDEA!"_ was just one of the thoughts Yuyake shot past in her quickened pace. The body of the small kunoichi pounced through trees and slid through almost impossible gaps in attempts to dissuade her pursuers. There were 4 of them. Though there were originally 7; she took out 3, but that was a hassle in itself _and_ she was injured from the scuffle. Her shoulder pierced with a kunai was the worse blow; it wasn't so bad, a couple inches to the left and the limb would have been useless. They happened upon the girl whilst she dosed in a hollow log. How they spotted her? She farted in her sleep.

So because she couldn't contain her nocturnal flatulence; she was going to die. Great. She was using her small stature, speed, and silence to her advantage, but it didn't seem to help much, it only gained her a couple elongating inches.

she snapped her body into positions just in time to miss branches, and flung herself as far as she could with each pounce but for how long she'd been doing it; her muscles began to burn. Her steady breaths started to spiral out her grasp, and she was making more and more mistakes. She supposed this was it... Dang. not how she wanted to go. It was that stupid masked guy's fault. If he could snatch her into pocket dimensions why couldn't he have dropped her off in a more convenient place?!

 _SFFFSH!_

Hear that? That's the sound of Yuyake's death as her sandal caught a branch and slammed her into the forest flooring. _"Ow..."_ She threw herself up and right into a solid man who seemed eager to gut her. The other rogue ninja surrounded her person and she snatched away from the one she'd touched, gathering herself into her arms.

Her stance was taken, and she watched for who would make first move. At once, chains launched from all four and she tucked her feet beneath her.

 _CHNGG!_

The metals locked, and Yuyake drop kicked one to straddle him and spat a shurrican into his throat. A kunai was shot at her, and she turned and swallowed it, _"I eat those!"_ she attacked him next but was grabbed mid air by another and slammed into a tree. Now all three were on her, and she was upset she was actually dying this way.

"Sand coffin" the men were swallowed by sand; their heads peering out the mouth of the grainy beasts. The bodies slowly rose. "Sand barrial" she watched in a weird state of admiration and disgust as their bodies are juiced for their red elixir. It splattered her and she felt a bit gross. Someone was obviously here, but after such a brutal killing, was it a vicious friend or a selfish foe?

Death.

That was what the brainwaves before Yuyake felt like. She leveled her gaze to see a red headed boy with no eyebrows, an ironic tactoo that read "love" and black circles around his sea foam blue eyes. The kunoichi's heart stopped when she saw his rarely blinking gaze on her person; it felt like those rogue ninja were blocking his view, and now he had a good look of what truly interested him. And she wasn't sure if his attention was good or bad...

Unnatural sand glided through the air with quiet whispers of undetermined intentions. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you as well?" he asked and Yuyake's heart burst like a bubble. She couldn't answer back... frantic, she looked around for something, anything to prove her importance. Nothing.

Pointing to her throat, she hoped he got the clue. His eyes traveled down to the body part then back to her face, unwavering in their passiveness. She waved her head. This was bad...

A taller, older boy came to be behind the humanoid death threat; he had a little hat-hood of sorts which was black like the rest of his attire and something akin to a body wrapped up on his back. He placed his hand upon the red head's shoulder to shift his attention."That's enough Gaara, we'll be late for the chunnin exams if we waste anymore time," Gaara slid his eyes to the boy, "Get your hand off me, or I'll kill you too" Yuyake's eyes beamed when she remembered the chunnin exams were at the leaf village and patted around her person for her head band. _"Gosh I hope I didn't leave it with everything else when I had to abandon ship so suddenly..."_ she prayed. She whipped it out her pocket and displayed it to the two. _"Huh, I never did pick where I wanted to wear this..."_ a couple seconds of pondering and she tied it over her mouth. That works... The two looked at her. "So you are a kunoichi of the leaf." Gaara's hand raised and the fingers curled, riling up the sand about her. "Less competition then," the sand rushed forward.

 _"Wait no! Don't kill me!"_ her eyes widen and a gasp opened her throat.

 _ **Blood lust.**_

It started at her toes before climbing up her body and scrambling her mind. It grew and grew like a needy child, feasting off her sense of reason like it was a temperate bottle, and demanded her attention. Her knees broke her fall, but she still ultimately fell to the grass while she scratched at her ears. It was too much "You speak with minds." Gaara concluded, but he was drowned out. A demo of what his scream would be like played in her mind and it was far more tantalizing than it should have been, tempting her to attack and recreate it.

her body rolled, wrestling with her for control, and she sat up

 _BAM!_

She slammed her head into the tree trying to knock out the thoughts or drown them out with pain.

 _"Get out"_

 _BAM!_

 _"GET. OUT"_

In the depths of her brain, a high pitched voice of malice nursed the babe of her budding insanity. It kept spouting promises of insomnia and pricked at her memories of loneliness, letting them leak out her eyes as a salty liquid. A fire burned in her stomach and seared the memories shut.

This was her mind! Her heaving was observed by the two boys, the older one rather confused, "What about minds?" but Gaara bothered not to inform him, slightly intrigued by the sight of the girl on the edge feral tendencies. It was oddly familiar in some way...

She needed someone calm around her to lock on to, but there wasn't anybody like that about. Gosh, why was the pain in her arm suddenly so exciting and new? She fell back, looking at the boys upside down. The taller one! Surely he wasn't as bad! _"Hello! What's your name!"_ each syllable cooled her thoughts and her hands dropped to be perpendicular to her torso. That was awful. Was that how this Gaara guy felt all the time? Meanwhile the taller one with paint on his face shuffled around. Who was that?! "It's Konkuro," he spoke to nothing in particular. Konkuro turned to the brown skinned girl and put together what Gaara had said. "That was her." he figured. Yuyake rolled onto her stomach and stood. _"Tell that Gaara guy I can't talk directly to him, I can't handle his blood lust.."_ Konkuro turned to the boy in question. "She says she can't talk to you directly, your blood lust messes with her brain..." he just hoped his brother wouldn't shoot the messenger... Gaara never took his eyes off the Bokuso-chi who felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Let's go" The Jinguriki ordered, walking off. Yuyake took a breath of relief as they turned to leave without killing her. "You as well," he shot her a look and she just nodded, knowing resistance was futile.

On the way to their camp, Yuyake just had to ask, _"Konkuro, why are your guys over on this side of the land of Fire? It's opposite of your land and lengthens your trip quite a bit..."_ Konkuro turned to her. It was weird having a voice just stomp all over your thoughts... "We had to take care of something on this side of the land of fire before we go to the village hidden in the leaves," to that the small girl nodded. The three eventually joined an older girl with four blond pony tails of spikes and a man who was apparently ashamed of half of his face cause he covered it up. The girl looked up first, "Hey, oh wait who is that?". The man next to her narrowed his eye, "I can't remember the name of the clan, but they're part of the leaf village, how did you come across one of the leaf's children without a watcher?" the male pondered.

"Gaara found her about to be killed by some rogue ninja," Konkuro spoke. Yuyake felt a little awkward and gave an equally awkward wave that the girl responded with her own, "I'm Temari, this is Baki," Yuyake greeted the man. "She apparently can't speak like we do, and she'll only talk to certain people." Konkuro informed. Baki slightly jumped topics, "What is your name?" Temari was the one who heard _"My name is Yuyake_ ", and it made her jump, "Yuyake?" she asked the air breathily. Said genin nodded. Temari gasped, "That was you?" again Yuyake nodded.

The experience was a tad freaky, having a telepathic speaker since outsiders only heard one side of the conversation. Yuyake wasn't skilled enough to find the common frequency amongst a specific group of people, so she only could talk to one person at a time, leading those she spoke to, usually Temari, to repeat what she said in conversation.

And so their journey began.

The days had their own oddities. The first day was full of her constantly apologizing for being a burden as everyone was forced to share their food with her along with other supplies. While eating, Yuyake caught blue circles placed on her and turned to regard them. Acknowledging the boy's stare did not deter him, on contrary, he continued his gaze; It was foreign to the boy, this feeling of being understood without giving the tiniest bit of explanation. His stare searched for signs of similar demons and trials within her but always came up empty, which only made him search deeper.

At first the Bokuso-chi stared back with merely a sense of awkwardness and silence, but as her eyes stayed trained, they began to unfocus and her peripheral seem to erupt with emotions and stories that belonged to the boy. Curious, Yuyake's Sunset eyes opened to him but not without demanding the same entry to his. The two lose time in the other's memories, devouring each other's story like a well written novel with no author. A weird connection had begun to form between the killer boy and lying girl, and Temari had watched, barely able to eat in fear that splitting her attention would cause her to miss a step in their journey. This began to happen at least once a day and could go on for about an hour if conditions permitted such.

On day two Yuyake woke with a start, a dreadful beast of sand had attempted to consume her in her dreams. She looked over to the already awoke Gaara and slipped out the shared bed roll to crawl over to him. He met her eyes, but before they could find where they left off, her orbs flickered down to his stomach. A cautious brown hand reached for it, attempting to understand the monster that it held captive; instead, to her surprise, the sand seemed to curl around her hand like it was locking fingers with her and drew her to its container instead, like it wanted her to focus there and not on the beast within.

Day three had Yuyake's ears filled with harmless whispers of the sand. She could almost hear the secrets they spoke of about their master. The light brush of grainy earth had grown to be welcomed, after she got used to the smell of blood.

Nights were weird too.

The first night wasn't anything out of the ordinary, Temari patched her arm up and that was about it. As was most the trip. Since she had to abandon her bed roll for survival, she hopped around from bedroll to bedroll. It was awkward sometimes. Like when she slept with Baki. The man was so quiet and his stare was so calculating; it was like he was trying to figure out something about her. After a bit, Yuyake figured it was her heritage, so she rolled over to block her most prominent feature: her eyes. Temari was the most normal one; it was just like sleeping with her sister, making it almost nostalgic. Konkuro wasn't awkward, he was just a really wild sleeper. She woke to a foot in her face a knee in her rib, how had he turned upside down like that?

Gaara's was by far the weirdest. It was strange how they didn't just let her sleep in his bed roll the entire time, it wasn't like he used it. Apparently he didn't sleep, so he was the one who always stood guard at night. That night, Yuyake found herself also deprived of the release. She caught herself with half her face tucked under the covers and her eyes peering at his silhouette in the tree. Briefly, her mind slipped to the cackling voice who promised to lash out if she didn't pursue a life of insomnia. That was Gaara's struggle...

She didn't know what... but there was something... attractive about Gaara. Sure she was a bit young for romance, but something about him just pulled her towards him. Figuratively and literally. The boy's sand had been frequently abandoning its gord in favor for the airspace about the Bokuso-chi heiress. Gaara wasn't sure why it was doing so, but he made sure to command it back in its containment when he noticed it had sneaked out. Speaking of which, was that the hiss of his sand? It was awfully far away. It was being so disobedient. with the curl of a finger, the sand returned, but not alone this time. The Bokuso-chi had felt the grains of earth snuggling up to her and she had grown used to their presence, but when it lifted her and floated her to be among the leaves and behind the red head, she was quiet.

The sand slowly began abandoning her and while she could stick the landing, she didn't want to fall. Her hand reached out and lightly tapped the boy's shoulder who didn't need to turn to know. What was left of the ocean dirt sat her on the branch beside him and fetched the bed roll to which she took and wrapped around herself. Hesitant at first, Yuyake advanced slowly. Finally her head rested upon his shoulder. _"This is as awkward as it is nice..."_ She concluded mentally.

The fourth day, they arrived at the village and the gate keepers were shocked at the heiress' appearance. After proving she was, in fact, herself, which was hard since she'd lost her papers, they all entered. Almost immediately after they entered the village's threshold, Baki spoke "I suppose this is where we part with you, miss Yuyake," he stated, and as a sort of good bye, the red head and ebony haired children's eyes found each other to attempt to finish their stories. The session was cut very short when Baki forced Yuyake to turn around and shoved her off.

He had tolerated their bonding during the trip since it kept Gaara calm, but now that they were here, they needed to focus on the mission and their ultimate weapon needed absolutely no distractions. "Leave, now" he ordered, and the short girl in black almost lost her equilibrium. She turned to the Jinguriki to see his forward facing gaze and she just turned and left for her complex.


	9. Nothing is Sacred

"Talking"

 _"Thoughts" and sound effects_

 _"Telepathic speech"_

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~ change in scene**

 **~X~ jump in time and sometimes a change in scene also.**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Previously**

He had tolerated their bonding during the trip since it kept Gaara calm, but now that they were here. They needed to focus on the mission, and their ultimate weapon needed absolutely no distractions. "Leave, now" he ordered, and the short girl in black almost lost her equilibrium. She turned to the Jinguriki to see his forward facing gaze and she just turned and left for her complex.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 9: Nothing is sacred.**

As the young Yuyake neared her home, her eagerness to return dulled. At first she was excited, running through the streets as the wind chased her, but black blotches blemished her white euphoria. Thoughts of what she was to tell her worried mother were at the top of the list, next was her status in her team... There were other thoughts buzzing around without ranking like what was the likely hood of this occurring again? Would she survive the next time? Should she ask her mother about the Gaara situation? Was she allowed in the up coming chunnin exams? Was-

The list was getting too long, she needed to focus. _"The biggest problem is that telling mom the truth will not lead to anything good... But with lying to her it will be hard"_ The fact she was pretty certain she left during a battle and that Kakashi was aware of that, meant her lie had to be a darn good reason to leave her team in peril. _"Oh gosh! I promised not to abandon my team and I leave mid battle, that's suspicious!"_ she paused in the street to shake her hands in a fit of anxiety.

It seemed like there was no real solution to the situation; at least not one that was going to lead to a good ending. She looked ahead and saw her family insignia on the cement arch leading to her home and a world of trouble. First the sight of the rock constricted her to its likeness, but as quickly as it came, her body relaxed into a state of passiveness.

As she neared the compound, her mind formulated a plan that could get her into a butt ton of trouble if she were caught, _"Yet here I am about to do it anyway..."_ Why was she going through so much trouble over this matter? She should just tell everyone the truth and let what happens happen. Yeah! Maybe she'd just come clean instead of going through all this trouble!

 _"People will die"_

It was a jarring thought. If she came clean she'd be put under protection... Sure the man had been peaceful-ish in their encounters, but that's cause it was just them- just her. All that meant was that he wanted something from her... what ever it is. If someone were to interfere... they'd die! All for protecting someone who didn't even protect her own teammates. No. She wasn't worth people dying. If something happened, Akane would come back and reclaim her birth-right of being heiress. Her people would be fine if she were gone. She had to cover this up.

With that thought in mind, she dashed around the back of the complex in stealth. There was something she was going to need if she was doing this...

 **~X~**

It wasn't long till her steps carried her before the Bokuso-chi mansion and into its entrance. As soon as she broke the ritual silence with the slide of the front door, footsteps closed in on her and when she turned to greet them, the owner pounced. They rolled but the attacker cared not, clutching the sunset eyed girl until their tumble stopped. _"Oh my baby, my sweet sweet baby! I'm so glad you're home! That idiot Kakashi should have been watching you better! Are you ok? What happened! Where were you? " _The always pleasant voice of her mother rambled. Yuyake tried turning to hug back or something, but her shoulder was stuck between her mother's boobs and arms encased the girl's upper body while crossed legs held the lower. _"I know this is uncomfortable for you, but please, just... just let mommy hold you for a bit,"_ That stilled the girl, and her mother tightened her grasp.

The nights after Yoru found out her daughter's fate had been horrifying ones in which her darker mind ruled her body. She refused to withdraw the 'hold back' order just to spite others. If she lost her child to it, all of the other Bokuso-chi women would too. It was a short but agonizing era in which she found out evil things about herself...

So yes, the woman was excited to have her daughter back.

When enough time had passed for Yoru to determined this was no dream or illusion, she released Yuyake from her grip. _"Where were you Yuyake? I was worried. "_ she demanded answers. Yuyake stared blankly at her mother who sighed. _"Oh right you can't speak..."_ her mother's words made the girl's eyes widened an unnoticeable fraction. Her mother didn't know she could 'talk'...

 _"Should I get some paper then?"_ the mother asked, and Yuyake scrambled her brain in a shake of the head.

This, however, did make the mother's face curl up, but she quickly let it go, just happy to have her daughter back. Then Yuyake pulled away and put her shoes back on. She waved to her mother who was dumbfounded. Then the young kunoichi was gone. She needed to find her team. She ran with closed eyes, letting the ripples of their thoughts guide her closer. When she was upon them, they were together, which she suspected. She waved from her distance and was about to connect to them when a gut feeling pulled her behind the beams that support the bridge they were near. "Now then, we'll start our next mission" Kakashi spoke to the group before him.

There at the jonin's hips stood Naruto, Saskue, and Sakura. Something about the pink haired girl's presence disturbed the sunset eyed kunoichi. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke seemed... depressed? Well, more so Naruto; Sasuke always looked that way. Sakura seemed the most excited out of the four. Naruto was who spoke first. "The three of us? as a team?" Yuyake felt her heart crack.

They had replaced her.

The sight of them blurred as a she chocked on a lump of sorrow. "Yeah alright, we'll meet you there..." Naruto suggested and Sasuke hummed in agreement. The kunoichi in red felt slightly upset they were holding off, but a prick in her side said they had good reason. The boys had nothing against the green eyed girl. She just... wasn't Yuyake. It seemed like they'd grown used to her rather fast, even with her being secretively silent. Naruto missed the times she'd invite him to dinner and Sasuke missed the three-way rivalry. They also felt accepting Sakura would be like giving up on the Bokuso-chi way too fast. It had been about a week, sure, but still...

What was that? The ever sharp Uchiha Sasuke felt he was being watched, quickly, his eyes waved over the creations of man and nature. nothing so far... then he caught it. The wave of silky black hair retreating behind a pillar.

...Was that?

Yuyake held her breath. _"Stupid Uchihas and their persceptive mannerism..."_ she cursed the boy's heritage. "What are you doing here, Bokusho-chi?" The girl mentally squeaked and pulled from the pillar. On top it, Sasuke was squatting, blinding red lineage alive in his eyes. Naruto's fox like gaze turned to the black haired boy's movement. Did he say Bokuso-chi?

Sasuke made his way back over to Naruto and Sakura, Kakashi having left before the last Uchiha made his move. Behind him, he dragged the limp girl by her hood and lifted her before him. Yuyake curled into herself like she was an animal being held by their gruff, then gave a small wave.

There was silenced.

Then there were blue orbs as wide as the ocean. Naruto hugged the suspended girl. "Yuya! You're ok! You're ok! Dattembyo!" The warm welcome made a smile crease her lips and she hugged him back, nodding. "What happened to you?" to the question of the day, Yuyake simply shrugged. "Why aren't you talking? To stupid to figure it out?" Sasuke teased and Yuayke just gave him a grin. She stood on her feet and pointed to the Hokage's tower.

The hyper boy was of course confused, but the stoic one picked up, "You need to report to the Hokage? Makes sense, you did disappear and suddenly reappear..." he stated. Yuyake confirmed his conclusion before waving them off as she scampered off towards the large structure, though she needed to make a stop first.

 **~X~**

It was weird. The connection Gaara and the female ninja shared. It bound them in odd ways; he sort of knew were she was at all times, if he wanted to. All it took was for him to focus on the subject and something would tug his mind in certain directions. Sure he hadn't tested the precision of the bond, but he had a feeling it was reliable. Don't misunderstand, his goal to kill everyone stood firm and unwavering; the interesting feelings and experiences that the brown skinned girl brought to the table were just enough to buy her some time.

At the very least, he'd save her for last.

Setting the scene, Gaara was upon the roof of the building those people he was supposed to call 'siblings' were in. Then he felt it.

She was near by.

To no surprise, the girl appeared on the roof in a flurry of hair. He made no motion to regard her, however. Still, Yuyake could tell he noticed her presence. She walked over to him and with the gentleness of the breeze, she placed her hand on his cheek with a touch so light it tingled. She guided his head to turn to her own, and she gently leaned forward. A round them, sand escaped from its home , at first rushing towards her at her audacity. When it pulled her blood from her split skin, however, it changed. Its intent was far more indecisive and it simply thrashed about, unsure of itself but encasing Yuyake with Gaara in a circle only defined by the limits of the sand's sporadic strike pattern.

Warm sunset eyes blared into the cool circles of sea foam blue. There were moments of intense steam and feelings that couldn't be describe, but it all halted when the brown skin of Yuyake's forehead touched Gaara's. Though a layer of sand feigning as his flesh separated them, Gaara felt the pressure. All at once, a story burned into the red head's mind like recalled memories.

She had lied to her mother and friends and wished to lie to the Hokage, however she preferred what she would tell the Hokage to not be a lie.

She needed help.

Her free hand pulled a scroll out her pouch and she placed it in his lap before sitting upon the roof peak, waiting for his response. Gaara picked the scroll up, it had already been unsealed, so he unraveled it.

. . .

This was her plan?

"You wish use of my chakra" he looked back at her. She nodded. That was the other weird thing about this bond. He couldn't hear her words in his head like when she spoke to him before, instead her memories and thoughts popped into his mind like he had just remembered something himself.

She turned her back to him and waited for his decision. When it was reached, the boy changed direction, and she felt the gord on her back. With her legs crossed and the scroll now sprawled out in her lap, she pulled and molded chakra from Gaara.


	10. Cover up

**A/N: I almost forgot it was Tuesday**

"Talking"

 _"Thoughts" and sound effets_

 _"Telepathic speech"_

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~ change in scene**

 **~X~ Change in time and sometimes Scene as well.**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Previously**

She turned her back to him and waited for his decision. When it was reached, the boy turned and she felt the gorg on her back. With her legs crossed and the scroll now sprawled out in her lap, she pulled and molded chakra from Gaara.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 10: Cover up**

Yuyake walked into the Hokage's office with a very upset Inoichi Yamanaka in her they had both properly disturbed the working official, the clan leader took center stage. "That took longer than expected, but I hope the results were worth it?" The third spoke in high hopes. When the young girl had come to the office with no recollection of her where abouts previous to her return to the scene of abduction, the Third Hokage asked Inoichi to explore her memory to catch her lie or explain her ignorance.

"They're Blocked," The Yamanaka spoke in contained rage. What a waste a time that had been. Searching the mind of a Bokuso-chi, especially an official, was a taxing task. Their minds were mazes of thoughts, memories, and jutsu they never used. Things were never separated chronologically, but by relevance. It was stupid. It was annoying. It was chakra-draining and time consuming. He'd spent just about all his chakra in the search, and it was fruitless.

Confused, the Hokage inqured further into the findings to which the male of long hair responded," The memories and thoughts of and during her abduction have been sealed with a jutsu. From what I can tell, it's a strong one, and can only be unsealed by the person she made the memories with, her captor," each syllable was ground out through clenched teeth.

A frown contorted the Elder official's face, "I see, if that is all then, compile a report of your findings in a file and bring it to me when complete," was ordered of the two. "Uh. With all due respect, Hokage-sama, my daughter, Ino, will be entering the Chunnin exames, and I would like to train her for them," A smile graced the Hokage's lips, "Of course, I understand, I'll expect your detailed report after the exams," he turned to the girl, "And if you are entering the exams as well, I'll award your the same extension," He continued, and Yuayke lit up.

A furious nod and she sped towards the window, kicking it open and pouncing off the slanted roof into the structure of the village. _"Good thing that's over! Now... one more thing to take care of. . ."_

 **~X~**

It wasn't hard to find Kakashi. He had been on his way to inform the Hokage and others that his children would be eligible to participate in the Chunin exames this year.

The Jonin was oddly surfaced from submersion of his usual book. He just hadn't been in the mood lately, reading such materials were, though barely, distracting him, and being distracted was what led to the lost of a student. His student. The small girl had been added to his reoccurring nightmares. She would just stand there, innocent and clueless, and when he took a moment to glance around at their surroundings for potential threats, she'd be gone. Darkness in every direction beguiled his senses. Where had she disappeared to? Where was-

"Yuyake" he spoke aloud just as the girl parted dust as she descended into his path. Her appearance shocked the male into a halt. The girl waved as she stood to her feet before the haunted man and smiled. Kakashi felt disbelief, but shielded his expression from the emotion. "What happened?" The girl took a moment to ponder. Where had she been? _"Uh... Apparently my memories were sealed, I have no idea how I was kidnapped and where I was during it..."_ she informed in genuine dumbfound.

"How did your mother take that?" The abrupt arrival of the girl was... baffling. He wasn't sure how to take it? He was relieved but worried simultaneously. What had they done to her? She could be a ticking time bomb like Rin...

Maybe she was an unwilling spy? Maybe she wasn't even here and he was under attack and in a genjutsu? So many questions and they bristled his sense to catch any tell-tell signs of the options.

None.

The girl nodded and pointed to the Hokage tower, and Kakashi followed her digit. He never questioned her switch between mute and telepathy, to him it was logical. While it was the only method of speech for the Bokuso-chi, some, especially children, didn't posses enough chakra to waste on mere words. They chose carefully which words they could spare, and replaced them with gestures.

"You reported to the Hokage as well?" Another nod. That was relieving, since the copy ninja was certain he wasn't in genjutsu now, the check up with the village leader ruled out all other possibilities of her being a threat without her memory. The only question now was why kidnap her?

 _CHOMP!_

Kakashi tensed comically, Eyes rounding out to circles of white pain. The heck? Looking down, he saw Yuyake had bitten his hand. As soon as she noticed his attention, she released his palm from her teeth. Her face read her bemusement with his frolicking mind. "Sorry, I've been a bit distracted lately," The jonin smiled and pulled the familiar glossy-covered book from his pouch. He couldn't describe how he felt. It was like he'd just released a deep breathe he'd been holding since she'd left. It loosen his chest and relaxed his body and mind; it was comforting.

Just over the book, he caught the sight of the small Bokuoso-chi's face falling to a concern countenance. Shifting his gaze slightly, he regarded her, "I suppose you're worried about your status on the team," The girl jiggles her head for yes. Her eagerness tingled the heart of the man before her. How could he kick her off the team after what happened? "If you want your spot, it's yours, now the only issue will be telling Sakura she's off..." he quieted the last part.

 _"There's also the problem of your mother,"_ The grey haired male mentally braced for the inevitable disagreement. "Kakashi-sensei! Yuya!" The two turned, surprised to see the Leaf's yellow ball of energy. What was Naruto doing here? When he was upon the two, he turned his attention his teacher, "We... we want Yuyake back on the team!" That didn't shock the ex-anbu. The words were like a sweet kiss to the brown girl's heart. They trusted her that much? Just like that, the kiss turned acidic. She'd betrayed them on their first mission...

She wouldn't do it again.

"Is that so?" a lazy dark eye slid over to the rueful girl. "What about you Yuyake? Are you willing to go into the Chunin exams this year?" Sunset eyes gleamed at the offer and the owner nodded. "Then it's just about settled then," Kakashi handed Yuyake an application form, "You'll need this. Bye" and he was gone.

Waving smoke out her face, the brown skinned girl flung herself at Naruto in a hug. "Whoa! Yuyake!" They fell to the ground, and the smile they shared right then is one for the memoir.

 **~X~**

Later, Yuyake was in a training field, sure, the sun had since hid behind the horizon from the moon, but it mattered not. And she was Iruka's last stop. He just wanted to make sure all his students were ready for such an exam as the Chunin. They could actually die there, if not ready, so he approached in the same attire as before.

The first mistake she made was being so absorbed; he was able to easily get behind her as long as he was as quiet as the crickets. The closer he closed in, the more his disappointment grew. She held so much promise in academy and for her to have fallen so low as to be the first one too fail his test-

Mistake.

The man was below the Kunoichi, grasping around for his air as she held a kunai to his throat. Her silence was like a looming threat of undetermined intentions. Would she let him live, or die? He had messed up. He had gotten too close and let her faux ignorance lull him into a self-damning sense of smug. Now he laid at her mercy. The small girl felt a smirk upon her lips when she saw the brainwaves leave the figure beneath her. A jab to the throat was all it took to release the log of its beguiling mirage.

Those brainwaves seemed familiar. . .

What ever, doesn't really matter. . .


	11. The bond we share

**I'm adding a week between nominations and the exams... Enjoy this cutesy chapter.**

"Talking"

 _"Thoughts" and Sound effects"_

 _"Telepathic Speech"_

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~XChange in scene**

 **~X~ change in time and sometimes scene too**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Previously**

The man was below the Kunoichi, grasping around for his air as she held a kunai at his neck. Her silence was like a looming threat of undetermined intentions. Would she let him live, or die? He had messed up. He's gotten too close and let her faux ignorance lull him into a self-damning sense of smug. Now he laid at her mercy. The small girl felt a smirk upon her lips when she saw the brainwaves leave the figure beneath her. A jab to the throat released the log of it beguiling mirage.

Those brainwaves seemed familiar. . .

What ever, doesn't really matter. . .

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 11: The bond we share**

Well, it was the week before the exams and team seven knew they should be training, but they couldn't help the time they just wished to stay in each other's company. Though they still attempted to be productive as the clock ticked in their conjoined presence.

So it was suggested that they do a quiet little study session at the Bokuso-chi mansion. The three were on top Yuyake's bed. The room owner sat with her back against Naruto's and her elbows on the back of Sasuke Uchiha who laid across the girl's legs; the boys were encasing her, this way she couldn't go anywhere or be snatched up by greedy foe.

Though Naruto was growing bored quick of the pages. "Ugh, I don't understand how reading a book makes you better at being a ninja!" the blonde's tone was uncharacteristically quiet; he couldn't help it! The constant silence of the grounds likened the area to a library, and he felt he'd be shushed for speaking too loudly. The dark haired boy scoffed. "Of course a dobe like you doesn't understand, you're such a loser..." Yuyake simply smiled. _"Anyone can read a ninja's manual, but it takes the brains and agility of a true ninja to be able to apply what they've read to real life."_ Stubborn, the blue eyed boy's furrowed brows twitched, as if confused about how to pose for the equally confusing topic.

With a quiet sigh, the girl decided to show boy the meaning behind her words. She shoved an un-expecting Sasuke off her who huffed at his forced removal. The window opened with a woody growl, and she nodded for the two to follow her, and they did so quickly. The boys found it a tad odd how the girl in their group minded not the bare state of her feet. She picked out a sentence and scratched a pen beneath the words before displaying it to Naruto, who read aloud, "A ninja is best when silent, elite Ninja tend to mask their movements as sounds of their surroundings," Yuyake nodded and held the book a practical foot from her face, and she took a position as the two stayed off to the side line: Naruto with arms crossed and the expression of a none believer, and Sasuke with a hand on his hip and a book in his face. A few ticks past and the Uchiha then decided to join the demonstration and dropped the encased pages, walking over. Naruto huffed at the added member of the demonstration.

The heiress turned towards him and they prepared. "Hey I can do it too!" a rowdy jinguriki moved to be ready to fight.

Then, there was stillness.

And Naruto was confused what they were waiting for. They were all ready! He waited a bit longer, but they didn't twitch. _"Is it a 'who will take the first strike' thing?"_ he pondered, cause he'd take first step no problem! Bring it on! He'd take Sasuke down!

More quiet. . .

Ok that was it!

The blonde launched for his onyx-eyed rival, but his attempts were blocked. "Idiot, I can hear you," Sasuke chastised. The patient boy held Naruto's high kick in his palm. _There!_

A breeze!

The gust swept over them and The once statue of Yuyake rushed at the two, and Naruto's blue eyes recorded the manner in which she approached. Her footsteps! They had become the hiss of the swaying grass! Sasuke released him and for a moment, Naruto took a second to comprehend. The usual clacks of battle had been hushed into white noise. Sasuke's strikes were the rattle of oak limbs, and it was like someone muted a television fight scene.

Then he understood.

Naruto actually understood! The ignition of his mind warmed his body with excitement. Ok, ok, he could do this. He took a step forward, but heard it. Calm down! Take a breath.

Then he moved and the lack of acoustics was odd, it almost felt like he wasn't doing the action. But he was! His steps were light but purposeful. A kick of his swished between the breeze, and the engrossed couple was almost injured by the blow. They moved from plain to plain in thrashes for dominance. Tactics were watched for each other's familiar troupes and observed ticks. Naruto had merged into to brawl like he'd been there the whole time. The three broke apart as the earthy breath faded.

They waited.

Leaves whisper warnings of the gust's arrival and all three move when its upon them. They clashed like toppled rocks and darted about like forest residents. Yuyake will remember fondly when then The Uchiha and Uzumaki blocked kick with kick as they rose in elivation before the blushing sky, the smirks upon their lips ones of comradery.

After that, Naruto didn't mind reading so much. He actually began requesting they do so before every sparing. Yuyake and Sasuke understood.

It had been pretty awesome.

 **~X~**

"Hey! Yuya! Wanna come hang with me and Sasuke?" Yuyake turned to the extended invitation. The two stood across from one another like reflections of the same struggles. That's when the boys noticed her sad eyes. "What's wrong with you, Bokuso-chi? Your mom told you the truth about how weak your clan is?" Sasuke attempted, though it wasn't on purpose, he had noticed the jokes he made about her clan always made her smile. When a choke responded to him instead, the boy fell back.

Naruto took up the challenge, "What's wrong?"

 _"I've got a new team,"_ was all she 'said' and the orphans bristle at the abandonment. The heck she meant she got a new team!? "What!?" Their frown is mutual. Yuyake took a deep breath and rubbed her self-pity from her eyes, though her heart ache remained. "I thought Kakashi offered you your spot and you accepted," Sasuke inquired. _"My mom_ " she couldn't spare too many words today. The curl of their eyes was vengeful and the two aimed for the door way behind her.

A shake in her head didn't really stop them, but when they ran into her out spread arms, they considered it. With many huffs in effort, the Bokuso-chi dragged them out the complex. "What's her deal!? Doesn't she know you're happy on our team? Why would should do that!?" Naruto was taking it the worse. Yuyake thought of how to express her mother's opinion. Then she pulled her Kakashi-like mask from the depths of the short sleeved and short legged body suit. The girl then covered her eye and Sasuke caught on.

"Because of Kakashi? Why? Does she blame him for your disappearance?" a nod and the boy wasn't too happy about it. "But he was fighting! He couldn't just stop and abandon us and the old man," Naruto couldn't wrap his head around the women's reasons. Apparently Yuya couldn't either, if her shrugs were anything to go off of.

The air heated to a frustrated seething and the heiress felt bad for bringing it up. She looped an arm around one of theirs and escorted them to Ichiraku's ramen. The long walk and calm breeze weren't enough to cool their tempers. She pulled out her wallet and held up a finger. When service came to their aid, the boys had shut down, in no mood to speak or eat. Yuyake held up 3 fingers and the Elder chief nodded, an air of concern filling his lung about his usual blonde customer being in such dark spirits at such an early hour.

Sauces sizzled while greases popped and meat snapped. Brown palms pressed into a rueful girl's lap. She should have waited till after they went to eat to tell them...

Orange to gold eyes swayed to an Uchiha. He was being unreadable on the surface, uncaring almost, despite his previous frowns of disapproval. Below the flesh was his temperate blood. This meant they'd have to enter the chunin exams with the pink haired girl, leaving them with little team work in their history which meant there were possibilities of set backs and less times like yesterday. . .

When was the last time he genuinely spared with someone? Sure, he and Naurto could continue to do it after she was gone, but if it were just between he and the blonde; there was no doubt the blue eyed boy would lose focus. . . It just... had to be all three of them to feel right. It's balanced that way!

Naruto, on the other hand, was being very open about his distaste for the situation. Nose curled at the funk of the stupidity he felt was Yoru Bokuso-chi's reasoning. His hands remained in taut fists of explosive anger. She couldn't leave the team! She just got back!

A bowl was placed before each upset child.

Yuyake reached for hers and began eating, forcing it down to be a role model of sorts; an attempt of seeming un-bothered led to Sasuke's advancement toward the bowel, But Naruto didn't fidget in the slightest. The imploring eyes of the Black haired girl were upon him, but it didn't seem to make much difference.

So the mind-speaker finished her noodles. To her left she heard Sasuke's slurps while Naruto's breaths were to her right.

While Yuyake's mom had said it was only temporary, the separation was deadly. She'd watched the way Naruto lost his mind when he thought he'd lost a friend before. Seeing him in such a blind rage was an illness to her pulsing organ.

The tantrum-ing boys felt a hand of theirs be gripped and they turned to the girl between them. Her chin pressed into the counter's splintering wood and her empty bowl upon her head. When had she done that? A moment passed and a sting of self-awareness allowed them to see how douche-y they were being. At least they have each other when she leaves, no matter how bitter sweet that may be. Yuyake was going to be on a team of complete strangers.

The boys exchange a scolding gaze that they both deserved before they grasp her hand with friendly strength and Naruto began eating his cooled meal. The two moved but a tad closer to the girl and shift their weight so one of their cheeks squished against the chilly glass of the bowl on top their teammates head.

As awkward as the position was, it was comforting, to all of them.

After the meal, they seemed in better spirits. "You have to meet your team, Bokuso-chi," Sasuke reminded and Yuyake, who'd been smiling, deflated. "At least you wont be stuck on a team with Naruto anymore," he offered as compensation and the mentioned blonde's eyes lite in fire. "What did you say! I'll destroy you!" "Hn, I'd like to see you try," "You're on!"

A silent giggle was the brown skinned girl's parting gift as she waved and dashed to the training grounds to meet her team.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

The next few days the lucky girl and unfortunate orphans don't get together.

Instead Yuyake spent the time training with her team. They're cool, but weird... Not as weird as Naruto though, or as cool as Sasuke. The girl was graced with a content countenance. That night She prepped for sleep, and she soon was curled into the plush duvet of her bed set. She was eventually relinquished from her puzzling reality for the sweet understanding embrace of the her mind.

Though she did get to hang with Shikamaru quite a bit in the time. The boy yawned, "What a drag, you've learned to speak," he smirked and the feignly offended girl kicked him for such a comment. The Nara laughs. They were at his favorite barbecuing place. "Well... at least you can't do it often," was his solace. He folded his hands behind his head as he leaned back.

"So, how's the new team?" the girl's grimace was enough information, "That bad?" she shook her hand in the air in a 'so-so' motion. "Well, they'd gotta be better than Naruto," he joked and found a honey barbecue wing in his mouth. The disapproving gaze Yuyake held was not one to tamper with. "Oh come on, it was a joke, I don't have anything against the guy." he assured her motherly instinct.

Yuyake surveyed a drumstick in her hand. She hadn't pondered the specialty of her bonds with everyone in her life till Gaara came about...

The one she had with him was still, by far, the weirdest.

Shikamaru watched her thoughtful gaze focus and turn quizzical. "Me?" she nodded. "Eh, Ino is always bossing us around, it's a good thing Choji and I don't care, we let her do what she wants, so there aren't any real conflicts. Still, Ino manages to make some." the last words were grunted as he stretched out his deltoids and trapezous. Yuyake nodded, that sounded like the Yamanaka girl.

 **~X~**

later, the boy-girl combo were heading to their homes, "What? Split off? Are you insane? My dad will lose his mind if he found out I let you walk home alone, something about chivalry or some drag like that" the boy cleaned his ear with his smallest digit. Yuyake grinned, remembering how Mr. Nara had begun to ship them, and doing so led to him expecting the ponytailed boy to act like a gentlemen toward her.

During her small giggle fit, a yawn intruded. "Oh great, you're yawning too... what did he say to do when that happens. So troublesome," he pondered his father's wording. Yuyake raised a brow, what could he do about her yawning?

"Hold on a second, I think I remember" he walked closer to her and looped an arm around the smaller girl's waist before lifting her and tucking her torso under his armpit. The girl craned her neck, demanding explanation. "Hey, don't look at me, he said You're suppose to offer to carry her of something like that," he grunted, the Bokuso-chi wasn't too heavy, but he wasn't quite prepared for gravity's tug.

 _"I don't think this is what your dad had in mind"_ the girl concluded. Yuyake didn't know how she felt about the fact she didn't drag on the ground; she was close, but not there. Was she really that small. . .?

Meanwhile, the shadow ninja headed for the household of the heiress. This was stupid. His dad had such stupid rules, the Shika boy only followed them to keep his dad off his back. Some rules had gotten revoked. Like the one where you always paid for the girl's food. One time the Nara and Bokuso-chi were off to eat but the boy was without money, so he had to barrow from his father. Yeah that got him to stop that one. Others, he couldn't get out of, like this stupid carrying thing, and it was only with Yuyake because his dad swore up and down they were dating.

What a drag.

At least the girl wasn't all _that_ heavy.

Once in the threshold of her home, he dropped her on her stomach. "There, I did my duty," the boy smirked at the frowning girl on the ground. How rude! She grabbed his legs and pulled him down to her level. "Hey! Whoa!"

 _CRASH!_

"Look what you did you idiot!" the Nara was fine, but the mute was dizzy from the expulsion of her air. He'd fallen on her. "Be careful next time," the boy scooted over, staying on the flooring.

Yuyake noticed the boy's shifted attention and followed it to the starry night just outside the open door before them. They weren't clouds, but they would due just fine. The sporadic spacing of the shards of silver left room for wandering minds. Thoughts of varying importance and age birth questions of the future and their perfect placement in the cosmic system. Had they been doing what they were supposed to do? What were they supposed to do? Why were they given a chance to roam this planet and choose their own paths? Especially if there was a specific one they were meant to walk since first breath?

It was a moment of universal oneness that dissolved their physical form into questions of silver with answers that bit off piece only to randomly spit them out on the black sheet of existence.

Stars.

Soon it'll be time for everyone to attend the exams. And they will.


	12. The games begin

**A/N: I dunno how I keep forgetting to update, the chapters are already written... Btw we'll speed through this part and really all the exams.**

"Talking"

 _"Thoughts" and Sound effects_

 _"Telepathic speech_ "

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X Change in scene**

 **~X~ Change in time and sometimes scene too.**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Previously**

Yuyake noticed the boy's shifted attention and followed it to the starry night just outside the open door before them. They weren't clouds, but they would due just fine. The sparadic spacing of the shards of silver left room for wandering minds. Thoughts of varying importance and age spond questions of the future and their perfect placement in the cosmic system. Had they been doing what they were supposed to do? What were they supposed to do? Why were they given a chance to roam this planet and choose their own paths? Especially if there was a specific one they were meant to walk since first breath?

It was a moment of universal oneness that disolved their physical form into questions of silver with answers that bit off pieces only to sparatically spit them out on the black sheet of existence.

Stars.

That was the answer.

Soon it'll be time for everyone to attend the exams. And they will.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 12: the games begin**

This. Was. Stupid.

Yuyake couldn't deal with the fact she was stuck with these two stranger for the Chunin exams. She wanted her team! So stupid... Now she was doomed cause they didn't really know each other and had no real team work under their belt. Well, at least they had a tiny bit of practice... The two stood a foot from her looking so stoic and still. They appeared almost identical. They both wore baggy masks akin to Kakashi's and dark bandannas just above their eyes. The rest of their bodies were draped in synonymous shades of black that hid every feature except their legs. Only thing the young girl could see of the faces were their gorgeous eyes of brilliant green.

Silence.

Never before had the Bokuso-chi girl felt the awkward tap of an atmosphere absent of octaves. She went to connect with the new teammates.

. . .

Oh yeah, that was right...

Something about their frequencies were... off.

The two made no move to communicate, and Yuyake felt a side of her mouth pull back from their monotonous stares. She needed to divert their attention; she was growing uncomfortable. Waving her head she pointed to the near by training field. They could practice their teamwork, even if only a little, before the tests. The two before her don't twist to confirm what she was pointing at; they merely nodded and dragged the fabrics of their sleeves over to the area. Yuyake couldn't stop the swelling feeling of disgust she got from the action.

 _STRIKE!_

 _STRIKE!_

 _STRIKE!_

 _"Whoa! We go well together!"_ The black haired girl admired the group's striking pattern. They were kinda awesome. It was like the three completed each other in battle, everyone seemed to know how everyone else fought, even during their very first practice. It was beautifully destructive how effective they were.

"Amazing! Such youthful strikes of teamwork!" The two slid to a unified halt and when Yuyake spun into a horizontal twirl, they caught her. A grin of pride carved into brown cheeks. A boy about a year older than herself approached. He was dressed in tight green and a spec of baggy orange around his ankles. Moving to stand, the mind speaker regarded the new comer. His large eyes gleamed with admiration and eternal euphoria. "My name is Rock Lee, and I appreciate you teamwork!" he bestowed upon them his gleaming smile of acceptance and thumbs-up of approval.

The girl in turned smiled and waved to the boy in greeting. _"I'm Yuyake, this is my team...uh"_ she turned to the two boys(?) what were their names? Hoshi and Hikaru? Was that it? Regardless, the two nodded to the boy who was looking about in shock. Who had spoken to him?

A silence chuckle left the girl. A person's reaction to her speaking was always funny.

"It appears that was...you?" he inquired and a nod confirmed his suspicions. "Wow! How amazing! Being able to speak without the movement of the lips! Most impressive!" he praised, and it warmed her cheeks. Lee then went on to talk about how he himself had been training just a short distance away. "Yes! My masterful sensei just had us running laps to warm up!" he boasted, his energy bursting out his eyes as fire.

Wow! He was getting the Heiress hyped and before she knew it, she was posing with him as he went on about his wonderful sensei of epic proportions. _"Wow! I wish I had a sensei that cool!"_ Y'know that was a good question, who _was_ her sensei now?

"Lee, come on, we need to get back to training," a deeper but softer voice spoke. All heads turned to acknowledge the Boy who Yuyake pinned as being of Hyuuga descent. Great. More clan wars. "Right!" Lee rushed off over the arching earth to continue his time with his team.

The newer team returned to training.

While she was excited by the strength of her unit, she was still lonely. She couldn't connect to this team like she'd done her old one. Team seven had shared moments that couldn't be recreated. Naruto was the first person she ever spoke to! And Sasuke reminded her she wasn't alone with the whole when it came to having large expectations to fill. It was amazing! Their chemistry was one of a kind! But enough of that, it was time get the tests started.

 **~X~**

The building was easy enough to get through, people kept staring at girl who was the smallest of her group. _"Yes, I know my eyes are gorgeous"_ she twisted their silent threats into compliments. Anything to make herself feel better.

They got to the proper room and the usual people were about. She tapped her team on their shoulders and pointed toward the restroom symbol, again they nodded without looking to what she was pointing at, it was like they had eyes in the back of their heads. Breaking off, the girl headed for the facilities, though in the corner of her eye she noticed someone following her. She turned to confront them.

No one.

She continued to the bathroom. On her way out, she saw a teen closer to her sister's age with grey hair that draped in the front and pony-tailed in the back. Large, thin circles were his glasses and he's in standard naveys. A brow was raised at him. She didn't like the way his mindset felt...

Once he noticed he was caught, he smiled, "Hello, I'm Kabuto," a shrug. "I see you're getting a lot of attention because of your stature, curious in learning about your opponents and getting a drop on them?" a shake of the head. "Really? There's no one in particular you're interested in?" he searched a sealed face, and she progressed pass him. "Wait!" Kabuto snatched at her shoulder, only for the ever silent Hikaru and Hoshi to come between them, one clutching Kabuto's hand in a sleeve-clad limb.

Yuyake had turned at the contact and was impressed and excited by the appearance of the comrades. They were so cool. Too bad she couldn't talk to them. "Sorry, my bad" though the two were shorter then the grey haired boy, their demeanor packed a serious punch.

As soon as they were amongst everyone, the artist grew jovial. Everyone from other villages looked so cool! Was it just a leaf village standard to look normal?

Well, minus Kakashi...

Immediately, a notebook was brought out and she began frolicking about the room, getting close to dangerous looking genin and drawing their pictures. The behavior was...strange to those subjected to it. But she was allowed to continue until the test started.

 **~X~**

 _"Naruto is so cool!"_ Proclaimed a star-strucked Yuyake after the blonde had given his speech about never giving up. It was so awesome! The girl had forced herself to figure out her teammates' frequency, though it cost a lot of chakra to do so.

Never doing that again.

Nevertheless, the test was over, and their second instructor was apparently very excited to get started with the baby murdering, cause she came before she was introduced. Anko, was remembered to be her name. She dressed... alright? It was kinda cool... Not drawing worthy though.

But cool.

Apparently Naruto had gained some fans! they were soooo cute! It was the team of the Third's grandson, Konoha- something... Yuyake only remembered he was named after the village. Which she thought was an odd name. Though, she supposed that she couldn't speak, her name meant "Sunset Meadow" and what even is that? A meadow of sunsets? A meadow at sunset maybe? _"Whatever! It's still majestic as heck!"_ The girl in black grinned at her own thoughts.

Oh! It's their turn to get a scroll!

The three entered the tent and received a dark colored roll of paper. Yuyake let the two decide which one of them was going to keep it. In the end, it was Hikaru who was chosen. Yuyake knew she couldn't carry it because she was being scoped out too much, she'll be the one most prone to attack, so yeah.

Plus, this way it's hard to figure who has it at any given time cause the two males(?) looked exactly the same.

So yeah, tactic.

They head to their given gate and prepped for the test's commencement.

When the gates fly open, the group stepped in, but didn't bolt off. They knew what they were waiting for.

Then they got it, a breeze that they chased in beguiling silence. It's begun!

They progress with relatively no activity. Scroll keeper up front, Yuyake in middle, and Scout in back. There's a string of ninja wire connecting the three. This is to pull people out of attacks that they themselves couldn't dodge for whatever reason.

Their strategy seemed almost flawless, and truly they came prepared.

The air had been relatively quiet...

Kunai!

Yuyake dragged the two to the ground, and they stick the landing. Kunai and shurrican were spat at the origin, but brainwaves from behind warranted her attention. They attacked, spreading far but staying close. they're like a fierce game of wack a mole, as a one retreated, another protruded. Offender is solidified as a ninja from the grass. just one. Feigning about the area like many foe. weapons were spat in juxtaposition with the twins who dance in and out their way until they grab hold of he who dared attack.

With inhuman strength it seemed, Hikaru choked the ninja to the point of indenting the muscle of his neck. Weapons impaling the corpse post expiration.

But he had no scroll.

Other than the attack, the day goes smoothly and they camp for the night. They found hollowed logs and dragged them closer together before stuffing them with bed rolls. Yuyake watched first.


	13. Unfortunately lucky

**A/N: I think it's funny that there are more people that have read chapter 11 than chapter 10**

"Talking"

 _"Thoughts" and Sound effects_

 _"Telepathic speech"_

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~ change in scene**

 **~X~ change in time and sometimes scene too**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Previously**

Other than the attack, the day goes smoothly and they camp for the night. They found hollowed logs and dragged them closer together before stuffing them with bed rolls. Yuyake watched first.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 13: Unfortunately Lucky**

Yuyake was awake for the first third of the night while her teammates slept. Her senses stayed sharped, nothing was excluded from them. She curled into the grooves of a tree with her hood up and eyes half lidded to mask the oddity of their color.

No trouble.

Insects, larger than herself, don't even seem to notice the addition to their forest as they shake by in distinct patterns of leg movements. She watched the moon creep across the sky, attempting to sneak up on its brighter brother. A wasted effort. Soon, it halted ,a third of the way through its path. Her shift was over. She sealed her lids for one more sweep of brainwaves. No humans about... Actually, where _were_ her teams' waves?

Oh! There!

Curled in a log, the two laid in light slumbers. That's good. Time to switch out. She walked with a breeze and awoken Hoshi from his alert unconsciousness. His eyes seemed to glow in the dim night, and they nodded in confirmation. Yuyake scooted out the log as he slid out the rear and approached position. Crawling into the belly of her own wooden bed; she encased herself.

The intent was to remain in the lightest level of sleep, but somehow she slipped into a deep cycle. In the depths, she found herself amongst her family. In particular, her father was before her.

He was just as she remembered him in all his tall golden eyed glory. He had red hair, short and curly like Akane's and Honoo's. He smiled down at her and the love she felt was genuine. It cuddled the fatherless' heart. She doesn't remember too much from the dream; in her memory it was a flurry of joyous emotions that made her think it had to be a good one.

What she does remember is white.

The fun colors of nostalgia were washed away for an empty shade. She stood in her current state, but not alone. Before her were two people: Naruto and Sasuke, and together they complete a geometric shape. The thought brought a curl her to lips, but only for a moment.

They look different.

The emotions about them seemed to twist their appearances into ugly truths. Naruto had been drowned in a blinding fury that appeared on her visible spectrum as fiery oranges that whip, lash, curl, and uncurl like tails around him. Sasuke had been stabbed with a hunger for vengeance that left jagged black spots all over him which leaked a deceptive purple that slither like snakes. Both their faces were locked into looks that promised retribution against those that had wrong them. And their eyes were red with visions of future blood shed. Their features fold into the groves of their scrunched up countenance so innately it's like a default setting.

It cracked a girl's soul. These darker sides of them that dared scheme to usurp power from their right minds. These were not her teammates. The tainted boys took a step closer to the personified piece of themselves that stood before them. Sunset eyes implore red ones and the familiarity the lonely orbs held shocked her. They're... they're just like Gaara's! So she does what she would do with the red head. She searched. Yuyake searched with all her useless strength. She bounced between the sets and uncovered tidbits of their struggle. She received facts from her memory and corresponding emotions from their souls. This whole time she'd been so wrapped up in her own stupid issues while the ones she loved so much were being torn, chewed, and swallowed by their problems.

In her peripheral, she saw a warm gold engulf her form, and she frowned with such acute disgust. Her hands rubbed hard into her arms flesh. She felt the heat of her frantic strokes but the light is stubborn. _"Get it off! Get this heavenly glow off me!"_ She didn't need the stupid warmth! They did! Give it to them! The way the light tumbled off in waves, she was just wasting it, and it pissed her off! She looked back up to the two with her ugly expression- and she saw it.

Beneath the pools of blood she saw the morning's jovial blue and the night's calm black. There! That was her teammates! They were in there, beneath it all! They were drowning...But why? Why were they being punished like this? Why was judgement being cast on them because the hate that tore them apart individually had brought them together? _"It's not their fault! They didn't choose to be born this way!"_ This wasn't right. She had to help...Maybe they needed to be balanced? The day was getting too bright and was being to burn, and the night was getting too dark and was chilling? They needed an intermediate... One needed to be calmed by the oranges of the fading blue and the other needed to be lightened by the rays of the falling sun. Sunset eyes bulged. She had that! She had that!It was spilling out of her now!They needed the light she was wasting! But-but- How does she give it to them?

"Ahgk!" the painful proclamation from Sasuke sent her into a tizzy. She needed to hurry!

In a flurry of ignorance, Yuayke clamped her arms around them. She squeezed hard and long, trying to press her light into their dysfunctional souls.

. . .

The sounds of the dispersing malice if a soothing melody to her, but she only squeezes harder. She had to keep it away! The loving gold curls about the three and they relish in it together like a blanket.

"O...Orochimaru," They spoke!

"Orochimaru... did... this. . ." they looked at her with expressions of desperation when she finally pulls her face from their touching shoulders. Suddenly, she felt the pressure of their hands on her shoulder blades, and they clutch tight as she's the only thing keeping them above red water.

Orochimaru? _The_ Orochimaru? What did he want with her team!? Her gaze was strong as it looked past their faces and into the space behind them. Did he want them? tough luck! He couldn't have them! They belonged to her! And she, them! They belong each other! No one could take them away!

She felt them shift her sight, so she was staring at their own. The eye contact twisted her on the inside, the red was reemerging. "We- didn't say this for us- Aghk!" Sasuke shattered to a lump of flesh, and out of her warming grasp. He clutched at the left side of his neck as black specks burned him as punishment for taking his first breaths, but how was such a crime upon his shoulders? He didn't choose it! _"Sasuke!"_ The girl reached for him. She needed to help! To put him back together! Maybe she could use her light like as an adhesive? A peachy skinned hand halted her advancement. It takes her a couple seconds to remove the reverting Uchiha from her sight. She turned to Naruto who was melting in the hateful fire within him, he was out her grasp no too. Sweat trampled down his tissue and his free hand was at his stomach. "Wake.. Up!" he forced, and then he crumbled.

And the world followed suit.

Cracks spider webbed into a mess of black seams. and her team dropped to a lower plain. Piece after piece fell into nothingness, but Yuyake cared not. An unease had curled upon her gut and the urgency her heart pulsed with seemed to merely welcome the intruder.

Finally the blackness creased and her eyes shot open. She twitched, she was tied down with ninja wire.

 _"Crap! Crap! Crap!"_ Where was Hoshi!? Hikaru?!

"Ah, so you're awake," she didn't need to focus to sense the blood lust licking at her person. Slowly, the girl raised her chin, and she gasped when her heart leaped to peer out her throat in disbelief.

The notorious S-ranked Criminal stood smugly before her in an unguarded stance. His face was a mess of flesh that drooped with heat. At his sides were Hikaru and Hoshi standing in an air of unapologetic silence.

The man of the hour reached up to his face and peeled the layer of slightly tanned skin, leaving behind a pale monstrosity. A rock weighed on her stomach. Something about the mask's elasticity made it a bit too realistic for her. He showed her the meat, a self-impressed smile never vacant from his lips. "Exquisite is it not?" he fed it to the mud below. Steps are taken forward and Yuyake pulled herself into the tree trunk. "Your little disappearing act actually saved your life," he started. "It was originally your face I had planned to exhume, but when you resurfaced, I had a few of my summons take the place of your appointed teammates to-" a humming chuckle, "-keep an eye on you," The confession relieved the twins of their faux appearance, and they removed their stolen flesh before smoke swallowed them. In their place were two snakes with a thickness of 6 inches and a length of 10 feet. The earth scroll dropped to rest by one's belly.

 _"I... I almost died."_ there was no way she would've been able to fend off the snake before her. She would have been dead and her face... He'd have been walking around with her _Face_. The disgust was sticky and grew immobile in her throat and attempts to swallow it were futile. It was a nasty thought that she didn't want. . .

"But now that my plan has proceeded without problem, the question of your life is brought back to my attention." he continued. "But I'm in the mood to be entertained, so give me a reason why you lungs should continue their cycle," his touch was upon her collar bone as if unsure whether he wished to choke her or rip out her speeding heart.

He's close enough!

Chakra clodded in her scalp before she slammed her head into his face while coughing a kunai into the bindings. Yuyake got greedy, and she snatched the heaven scroll from the killer's pouch. She'd noticed it during her captivity. Then, she dived, narrowly avoiding the teeth of her 'team mate' as she snatched the earth scroll from the grass. She spat senbon into their sides and they're gone. She took cover, knowing the mind scrambling chakra would wear off quick with the Sanin. He hadn't really burned the scroll he acquired from team seven, but rather hid it. He had planned to give it to one of his followers to guarantee their progression. The one he'd burned was fake. And now she had it.

She hadn't done too bad; she secured the scrolls she needed and decommissioned the hound-like snakes that no doubt had her scent. Still, the girl couldn't get over how stupid she'd been. She should have noticed. That was what was odd about their brain waves! They were feral and wild, like most animals, even if they were trained. That explain why it was so hard to connect with them! The only one in the clan who talked to wild beats with no problem was her great Aunt.

"Clever trick, child, but tricks will only get you so far," he glazed over the area with predatorial gold, and Yuyake shrunk into the tree. Hopefully they'd get her far enough...

Honestly, the heiress was terrified into nervous trembles by his presence. The problem was that there was absolutely no way she could beat him in regular hand to hand, and she may know many jutsu, and had performed each one before, but that was the thing; she'd only done them once. The only tactic she had used repeatedly was the mind scrambling thing, and Jutsu weren't bikes, you could definitely forget how to mold your chakra or the order of the hand signs or jutsu requirements.

But she was going to try anyway.

There was no way she could get away with the scrambling of thoughts, especially since it grew more ineffective with each strike on a reoccurring target. alright. . .

Yuyake couldn't fend off the grin that held her lips captive. She had to admit, she was a bit excited to use a jutsu she hadn't in battle before. Even with there being a high probability that she'd screw it up and die. She would have to make it her business to go over them once more after she dodged death, for the second time apparently.

 _"Ok, ok, requirements"_ she needed to work quick, the criminal knew her hidding spot, but his curiousity got the better of him. His patience would only last so long, however. She believed this jutsu required the hiding of as much biomass as possible. Well... it was either this jutsu or another, but she was going to do it to be sure. Bandages were pulled from her pouch and quickly she covered her arms, fingers and legs. _"Gotta be quicker..."_ She pulled them taut, and the patience was gone. The black haired man was before her and snakes shot for her person, but she twirled.

"I've grown bored with you,"

Crap. . .

She caught his gold eyes and frowned. His mind wasn't swarming with thoughts... Maybe she'd need a couple technique.

The girl in black rushed forward, and built Chakra built in her muscles. She punched at the male's shield of limbs, and he was shocked when he was flung back into the third shinobi war and his attacker was a long dead cloud ninja. Was this some sort of Genjutsu? Wait! The forest is back! But he's in the land of wind when a shinobi smashed a kick into his back. He's constantly resurfaced and submerged in past battles where he relived pain and battle snippets.

Yuyake attacked with the strength of the fallen, and no, she wasn't this strong. ' Ninja art: Fatal Fallen' allowed her to attack with the strength of her opponent's past foes. It's a hybrid between Genjutsu and Taijutsu. So her blows were actually weak genin hits, but his mind thought it was with the strength of the forgotten. The only thing was it depended on the experience of an opponent, luckily, the Sanin had years of it. He struck and she slid beneath him, throwing her feet into his passing gut to fling him to the tree tops.

He rebuttled on the back of a snake and Yuyake's eyes widened.

Oh dear...

She dashed out its path but impact threw her into a tree that caved in under pressure.

Ow.

Orochimaru was smiling, per usual. That was rather fascinating. With each melee connection, he was crossing between past and present thoughts. Her strength surfacing memories of the last ninja war and further beyond that. Though it was useless. She may have the strength of his past, but he'd survived the hits before, he could do it again, easily. After all, he was stronger now.

he watched the girl rush for him and slam her knee into his ribcage; He's back with the hidden cloud ninja. Weapons were shot after him, but He catches and blocked oncoming projectiles.

There it was!

Yuyake felt that sweet adreniline in her blood. In his eyes were a calculating rim, and she could barely see the thoughts exploding in his mind. What about? She had no idea, but as long as he was thinking, she was good to go... Speed! her foot slammed her into a high accelerating pace, but she keeps close to his person. She bounced off branches.

 _SNAP!_

and stomped over dirt.

 _DHH!_

All while staring directly into his eyes _. "That's it, keep that train rolling."_ The Legenday shinobi stood, pondering what her next move could be and would be. Yuyake tucked her hair in her hood and pulled it on top her head. She moved her head band to her forehead. Let's do this!

Black and white paused at his feet before throwing sunsets into his face. Covered hands danced 'til final call. _"Ninja art: Silent Mind!"_ and everything was gone. The trained thoughts that had been roaming his cranium and the scenarios that played in his personal cinema bled to a nothingness. Everything was missing but he didn't fight, he couldn't. All thoughts, both purposeful and involuntary had halted.

His lungs stop mid contractrion, the electric pulses over his nerves brake in their channels and he is between death and life for a span of minutes. . .

Then it was back.

Everything resumed, and it felt like the man had simply been daydreaming for a time and reality had beckoned him. What. . . was that? Where was the girl? He looked about.

a familiar smile bushed up the sides of his mouth.

No one wonder he was interested in her.

Oh well, she wasn't the snake's type. She had proven herself worthy of the oxygen she consumed. He'd leave her be. She'd die with the rest of the village soon enough.

 _"Holy crap that was a rush!"_ Yuyake checked out the moment the frightening male was beneath the Jutsu. It was a powerful one, yes, but only meant for escapes. Most Bokuso-chi can't kill with this technique, only paralyze or disable. It , to put it simply, merely stopped all brain activity for a short time. there was only one who could exert the Chakra needed to render an enemy permanently dead. That was her mother.

The girl surfed over the grass in silence. Her steps were the chirps of crickets and her legs were slick like sliding mud, arms rolled over oncoming obstacles like an inhabitant and she was no longer a girl.

She was the forest.

Her sight stretched for impossible miles and in her alone time she pondered her brushes with death. Who ever had kidnapped her had saved her life. . . But who had done it? Thinking back on the slithery battle, she could've stabbed him in the heart during his ghastly paralysis, though she had a gut feeling such an action wouldn't have worked. There was something non human about his bio-matter.

At least she was away.

Such a statement was bitter sweet. Yes she was free, but she was with dwindling chakra, she'd only slept a couple hours, and she had no _freaking team!_ In the opiccitial lobe of her brain she remembered her dream. It pained her, but she was certain it was real. They really do need help. Sasuke in particular... There was a budding maliciousness in his core. The thought that the boy may succumb to the rule of the snakes was heart-panicking. She was out here, so far from them while they were fighting; she needed to find them. Where were they!? She needed them, and they her.

She tumbled into a tiny hole of a tree, barely fitting and uncomfortable. She needed a moment to look for them. A breath calmed her cramped muscles and the waves flowed over her. There.

But what would she really do? She supposed she could try to help. but she was a liabilty in her state... The doubting thoughts are batted away.

Who cares.

If she were to die for team, she'd be estatic.

So she approached just as Sakura threw her arms around a darkly ruled boy. The blood-hungry avenger turned at her audacity but her presence somehow calmed him. It was cute in its own way. But Yuyake's main concern was his health. She rushed forward in a mess of noises and hugged the boy. The feeling of the retreating darkness was lucid to the girl, assuring. Her weight slackened upon the boy and he growled at her tomfoolery. When her form remained a nuisance, he shoved her off and the way she gave was worrying. He turned her over in his arms, "Hey-" she was unconscious. What the heck happened to her?

Naruto woke with a start. What the heck!? "whoa!" The blonde sprung for the grass' cover, "Where's that Grass Ninja lady?" he crawled upon the ground, and his comrades made it into his line of sight, "Whoa! What happened to Yuyake," and no one responded; they were just as clueless. Shikamaru made his way over and he frowned at the kunoichi's state. A foot nudged at her but her body didn't notice.

"Well, she's breathing rather easy, I'm sure she'll be fine," Shikamaru spoke.

That was good to hear. Now, how was Sakura- "Whoa! S-something huge happened t-to your hair!" Naruto starts and the girl in question is modest about the rookie ten spend little time in the familiar company.

When all foreigners had dispersed, the three decided it not best to continue with such a drain teammate, and the rest they took was much needed. A couple days past and at some point Sasuke left to collect materials and returned to see Kabuto with his greedy little paws on their earth scroll. When the nature of his visit is established, he checked on the The Bokuso-chi per request. "She hasn't woken up in days," Naruto explained and Kabuto simply smiled. "She'll be fine. What ever battle she was in just drained her of almost all her chakra, she'll wait up any minute" he placed a hand upon her forehead and there was a furtive exchange of chakra before her gates of lashes part to free her eyes.

She didn't feel so bad. She sat up and the older boy aided the incline of her spine. "You shouldn't be in too bad a shape, Most of your Chakra was restored," The girl frowned at his words. "Oh! Yuya! You're alright" the blond was nose to nose with the girl who grinned at his concern.

 _BAM!_

A certain Jinguriki's face met the earth, courtesy of Sakura's fist. "Don't get in her face like that you idiot! She needs her space!" Yuyake blinked as if trying to discern if she had truly awoken. "What happened, Bokuso-chi? You were out for nearly the whole test." Sasuke verbalized common thoughts.

Shrug.

"Wha!? What do you mean you don't know!?"

 **~X~**

With all members recovered, they made haste for the tower.

Night fell, and it began with a genjutsu that led to dark hours of splatters and smoke as clone attacked clone and four fifths of the team laid in furtive slumber. Morn soon appeared to make judgement and the facades were temporarily dropped. There's a moment of truth in which the resilience of a certain blonde was made more than pronounced and all were impressed with his growing strength. There were also times through out the battle that left a blemished boy petrified with bad intentions and it scrambled the insides of feminine bodies. One attempted to ease his flesh by easing his mind, but he rejected due to her current resouvir.

When the competition was vanquished, a shred of Kabuto's malice was potent, but only for a moment. Finally, the triumphant five were at the tower, and they parted. Yuyake had a bit of trouble finding her door since it hadn't been her role to memorize the correct letter.

That was Hoshi.

she spent time in her memory and finally she recalled letter H...

How ironic.

She teared the doors open and slammed them behind her. A moment and the sudden solitude left her mind idol. At once everything crowded her frontal lobe and it draped a weight upon her weaken shoulders. She fell under the magnitude.

She curled in on herself and let the memories and knowledge flow over her. Her lips quaked and her mouth parted in deaf sobs.

Oh, she'd better open her scrolls before it was too late. She found the wrappings of paper and unraveled them and they coughed up a plume of smoke.

"Hi," an oblivious Kakashi stood with his eye on a book.

The familiarity softened her restraint, and she swung herself into him. He's shocked by the contact. That's not what he expected...

She clutched to his vest and he placed a hand on her dome. Comfort was not the ex-anbu's strong suit, not by a long shot. Still, he attempted. He felt his clothes warm with her breath and he jostled to reality.

Still, the quiet was never penetrated by a cloudy phase of assurance punctuated with a soft pat nor by the chocking tears of a breaking girl, It's just silence. The same kind the girl was born into and the same kind she wished she could return to. There was so much noise in her life recently, and she wished it would quiet.

But wishing is always pointless.

So instead she pulled from the Jonin and her face was calmed. She needed to stop this stupid pity party. It helped no one.

not even her.

Kakashi dwelled not on the heiress girl. He sighed and merely began explaining the writing on the wall that Yuyake didn't give a single turd about. Afterwards, she was brought to be in a line up, she was such an odd man out. Everyone stood so proudly with their teams, glowing in a radiant accomplishment. It sickened her.


	14. Preliminaries

**A/N: I'm done putting the guide up here, you all get the drift... also, maybe we'll do 2 every other week now?**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Previously**

Kakashi dwelled not on the odd attitude of the heiress girl. He sighed and merely began explaining the writing on the wall that Yuyake didn't give a single turd about. Afterwards she was brought to be in a line up, she was such an off man out. Every stood so proudly with their teams, glowing in a radiant accomplishment. It sickened her.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 14: Preliminaries**

Yuyake took a spot next to Gaara, she was the only one who dared to do so. She expressed her plight to him, and he merely bestowed upon her an uninterested gaze. Of course, if she didn't have a solution to with which he could aid, he didn't want to hear about her troubles. She'd forgotten. So she returned her attention forward.

The red head couldn't understand her problem, everyone dies, why did she think she was a special case? So what if she had found out she narrowly dodged the encounter? She wasn't dead, so what did she expect him to do?

. . .

She wanted him to provide a comfortable silence? What kind of request was that? How does one even make a silence comfy? Still, Yuyake smiled light when stray grains pecked her cheeks. Gaara always did what she needed, even if he didn't know what it was or how to do it. Their link seemed to nurture them. A constant exchange was always occurring, whether or not they noticed they'd gained or lost something.

In the distance, Kiba paled. Was that weird-eyed girl really just chilling in the claws of that monster?!

Other thoughts passed about the crowd, most pondered the state of others and what it meant about their own status; some, usually the adults, pass judgments and expectations over the group. Eventually verbal and mental words were hushed and Anko's voice raised above them all. She just introduced the Hokage. He stepped forward and barked froggy words of companionship and death; their marriage was widely celebrated across the allied nations.

It bored Yuyake.

She knew one thing, currently her mental strength was held up by pillars forged by Gaara's bloody sand. And let it be said that that wasn't good.

"Any test is fine; just tell me the details of the exam already, I can handle anything you throw at me, " Gaara spoke and Yuyake merely held her determined features.

Aaaaand apparently they needed a preliminary first...

wonderful.

She was definitely in well enough condition to fight. There were words of protest, but what do protests really do in these situations?

Nothing.

Jeeze she needed to calm herself. Yuyake shrugged, though she felt concern for her comrades... and Shikamaru. Naruto had chomped away at his Chakra all night, and it was amazing that he stood, but still. And Sasuke stood upon his own Uchiha-y feet, but who was to say when that mark would throw another tantrum?

And Shikamaru was lazy, what if he decided that dying took a lot less effort than living?

The security of Gaara's mind eliminated him from the list, but that only placed everyone else on the list at high alert. What if they ended up fighting him? He'd _**kill them**_ and she wasn't sure how she'd take that...

Evil.

She felt it pulse behind her and whipped around to see Sasuke in one of his spats of pain. Quietly, she wormed to his side. A light touch snapped his attention to her, and he opened his mouth. "I'm not-" The long haired girl placed a finger on his lips. It was not her place to tell him how he lived his life or for her to determine the risks he'd take. But she'd certainly help anyway she could.

Her digit slid to the point of painful, origin and she cuddled his cheek in her palm, placing her forehead upon his own. She formed a sign between their lips and the mark glew a gold. The Uchiha relaxed into a normal stance and the smirk on his lips was very much welcomed. "Always looking for a time to show up, Bokuso-chi" he teased and the lightly red-cheeked grin upon the girl was nostalgic. Though, the boy wondered how she had known about the mark in the first place...

"There, now there's a seal on it, no need to drag the boy off to the Anbu, thrashing and shouting," Kakashi assured the instructor, though he was certain the inexperienced girl had screwed up the technique. It didn't matter, he'd seal it properly later, for now, he had faith in Sasuke's will power. The boy was strong.

Sasuke nodded to the girl in thanks, but Naruto scolded the boy for turning on Sakura. "She was just worried about you, ya idiot" the boy of blue turned the blonde "Naruto, you're one of the ones I want to fight the most," and his eyes flicked to the the Bokuso-chi. It warmed her heart, she was included! The three way stare seemed impossible, but it was happening and rich with comradery. The Uchiha had such amazing teammates that seemed to excell between every blink of the eye. It was unbelieveable. Counting them, the Hyuuga, and red head, he was excited to see who he would be fighting.

Yuyake danced her way back to the side of Gaara and noticed that Kabuto weirdo was gone.

When had he left?

On the sidelines the Hokage deemed the last Uchiha fit to continue at his own risk and appointed someone to watch the boy's progession. Anko found the decision outrageous but her audacity was rewarded not. Explanations were showered on to the candidates and a screen was revealed. Only the boundaries of defeat and victory were described and the test began.

But first, "The drop out of Kabuto has made it an uneven 21, someone will have to fight twice," the air is empty at the offer, but a bandange covered hand soon poked up.

"Alright, that's Yuyake Bokuso-chi, you have agreed to part take in two battles," A nod.

That's settled.

Sasuke's first.

He's battling a team mate of Kabuto's. She didn't like this guy, though she was beginning to find out that she didn't like anyone who presented a threat to her circle... or were outside her circle to begin with. she was developing some major trust issues. And Naruto, Gaara,and Sasuke weren't helping, she used to be such a friendly person... sort of, but when her team and bond were formed and the outside world began to wrong her like it had done them many times before, she'd run into their arms where they cuddled her and comforted her figuratively. _There there_ said their embrace _We know, we know, the world is a cruel place, stay here and be safe._

It was hard to resist them...

Yuyake moved to be with Naruto and the first few minutes were against Sasuke. She felt her seal snap, but it mattered not, it was only there to strengthen Sasuke's mentality. Honestly, She hadn't practiced sealing in ages.

The girl of black and bandages turned to the blonde beside her and nudged her head toward their fighter on the field. Time to give him some team seven encouragement.

"Sasuke!" Naruto roared and he gained his attention. "Come on what kind of Uchiha are you!?" the boy in orange tarnished the fighter's lineage. Yuyake gave a judgemental squint. She pointed to he on trial before condemning his fate with a disapproving downward pointed thumb. And Kakashi sighed. What was wrong with his children? Had they never heard of positive reinforcement? Sasuke turned everything around with a kick that suspended the two. They paused, foe and friend, and everyone noticed the spread of the curse mark, it was like wildfire. Yet the boy was yanked from its grasp by his team mates' disownment and Sakura's concern. _"Don't count me out just yet you two!"_ he mentally proclaimed and the mark was shoved back in its cage where it pestered the Uchiha no more while he finished off the opponent.

Kakashi supposed that this was just how they were...

He caught his child with a well placed knee and an excited comrade critiqued the boy in blue's blunders. "You ok!? You won but in such an uncool way! You came out looking like you were the one who got beat up!" he laughed and Yuyake grinned at the boy's state. "Give me a break... idiots... A-Oh well," he huffed, but he wasn't to exhausted to place a smile on his face.

 _ **Death**_

The feeling was almost fondly recalled, and it only hardend the Bokuso-chi's grin as she looked up to the red head bringer of death. He clutched his arms and his head twitched. He's getting riled up, and so early in the game. Yuyake's grin turn slightly sinister, and she felt greedy. _"Eat your heart out Gaara. that's my team for you_ " She thought, and she believed the boy received the mental temptation as his gaze shifted to her. The smugness she held was dangerous, but she was starting to like it.

Her team? Not just the Uchiha? That was interesting, he remembered her as not really showing any promise combative-ly, same with the Blonde. But her thoughts wouldn't lie. . .

When she returned, Sasuke and Kakashi were leaving.

Next was Shino and some sound ninja with blow holes in his hands.

It's short but just long enough for a conversation in the shadows to occur. A bird chirped with viscous promise of protection to its egg if the looming snake dared to charge it. Little did the bird know, the snake had cracked all three eggs with its fang. The one the bird protected was simply the only egg who'd fallen from the nest. In the end, the bird was amusing and it's the only reason he survived.

Next match.

Yuyake felt like not enough people took the bug boy seriously. He was freakin' awesome, he was like Shikamaru! Seemed insignificant but really a star player. Maybe she'd befriend him?

"Wow that Shino is good! I can't wait to get my shot at him!" Apparently Naruto felt similar.

Oh look! The bird was back!

"Hi" was all the man said and Sakura was in a tizzy about Sasuke.

She really needed to stop worrying so much; the boy was strong!

A couple more matches and Sakura was down. Then another and it's Shika's turn! And he owned that Sound girl! Whoop whoop!

Ahem.

Then it's Yuyake, and she's against that cool looking Sound guy with the draping grays and hunch of fur on his back. Sakura has returned by now from her trip to the infirmary, and she turned to her. "Careful, there's a metal device on his left arm, if you hear it, you're toast," the red head explained and it's super helpful to the girl. She doesn't hop over the rail to do the eagerly bad ass thing, instead she walked to and down the steps to do that patient bad ass thing.

And she was before him. She stared blank and his euphoria was impression-ed on the bandages over his mouth.

It's a bit creepy.

Yuyake took a stance, and they waited.

"Begin" a hand grabbed the back of the ninja's head and her speed was jaring. She enforced scrambling chakra right into his neurons and he's disoriented. She got him to the ground with a grip on his left arm. She drew back and slammed her chakra concentrated feet into the gadget, and it shattered.

Wow what a rush! she was worried it wouldn't work. . .

"Wow she broke it!" Shika announced and there's a shock tossed about.

The Bokuso-chi knew she needed first hit, her ears were too sensitive to take an audio hit. Shifting her hands, she threw the male from her. He caught himself and held an eye full of shock at the parting with his toy.

The fight turned into an barter for blows and it's not till they're among the ruins of the contraption that the boy stomped. The metal reverberated and its enough when concentrated to her ear to cause a push of pain in her head.

Ow!

She stumbled back, and doing so rattled more shards. It hurt! The boy laughed at her pain till a senbon dug in his flesh. The wound was nothing though. The fight came close but in the end, the boy had seen enough in his past for Yuyake to nearly snap his neck in a right hook. She's victorious, and everyone is trying to pin her.

Her fluctuation in physical strength was confusing...

On lookers were uncertain what the girl had done. She walked to her people, rubbing her ears with frantic but gentle fingers.

Then Naruto!

Yuyake got fired up for the match and it's... not what she expected... but still cool! in that Awesome Naruto way!

Believe it!

. . .

Oh! Her turn again...

She wasn't sure if she was ready for it, but it was Choji, maybe she could take him?

Said boy turned to Shikamaru for advice on the girl, "Me? I don't know," the boy of shadows claimed, "What! But you two are friends!" the lover of chips implored. He needed something!"Uh... All I know is that she's quiet," he offered and Choji felt he had been fed to the dogs. Fine. He'd handle it himself. She couldn't be too bad; she was injured!

Yuyake took center stage after Choji, and she was not too sure about this. Her equilibrium was off, her ear rung, and her head ached. It was a bad idea to take two matches.

Oh well.

She took a strong stance, attempting to frighten the boy with beguiling confidence.

"Begin!"

He turned into a huge ball of Choji!

It's difficult to dodge, but she manages it, barely. She's almost crushed more times than she'd like, but her determination is strong. They clash frequently in a dark cloud, leaving them uncertain of their efficiency and limits. It's a short squabble though.

He's down.

"Alright! You go Yuyake! Two battles No problem!" Naruto cheered, and she flexed for him in a wave of silliness.

She gestured farewell and headed for the infirmary...

She needed help.

The area outside the fighting room was oddly quiet, and it was in this time Yuyake realized she had no Idea were to go.

Oh! She saw the ends of a white medical uniform hide behind a corner! She followed after and coat tails, but their fast. Who ever was hurt must be in serious trouble cause the ninja moved faster and faster. Every time she turned a corner, so did it. It was crazy.

It ducked into a room, and she smiled at the guidance. She looked for someone to service her, but there was suddenly this burning sensation of dread in her. She needed to hide! she shoved herself into some cleaning supplies, was this a janitor closet?

A closed-mouth chuckle was in the air. "You took that girl to hide her from me, didn't you?" was questioned. Her body tensed. That was Orochimaru...

"If you attempt something like that again," Another spoke with an even tone and his short cut-off was a looming threat. That was that weird mask guy.

 _"How the heck did I end up in a room with_ _ **both**_ _of them!?"_ she had to wonder. It seemed so unlikely for such a thing to transpire. Well, then again, what did she know about villains, maybe they always did this.

"If you reach for Sasuke, the Bokuso-chi and jinguriki will no longer be outside my realm of Interest," the snake threatened.

There was quiet. "I find your acute interest in the girl quite fascinating, though justified." he continued, seemingly accepting of the one-sided conversation. "Harnessing the power of the Bokuso-chi is far more difficult than that of an Uchiha." he stepped forward. "If you want, you can simply rip the eyes out of a blessed boy of the lineage, but the Bokuso-chi's lies in their unique Chakra system and innate understanding of the brain as well as their odd jutsu hybrids. so a child must be taken at a ripe age, and cared for,"

Was the masked guy even still there? It just sounded like the snake was lecturing space.

"Though it's taxing, if you can empower her enough, she'll develop a unique skill never seen before, yet it's a success-or-fail situation as to the nature of the ability. Though, with her immediate family, you can narrow down the usabilty. It may be a perfect defense like the Wandering Flame, or deadly and efficient like Death's Whisper, or perhaps practically-underestimated like the Rose's Thorn?"

Yuyake's hands clutched her chest. Wandering Flame was her cousin, Death's Whisper,her mother, and Rose Thorn, her sister. Why were they talking about them!? They had no right to talk about them! They needed to mind their own stupid buisness!

"So the heiress has a high likely hood for being of great use. I wonder what would happen if I tainted your best chance with a mark," the lack of vision did not spar the girl in hiding from the shadow of threat that crawled over the room.

That was from the Masked man...

A chuckle and the meeting was over, "I'm afraid we'll have to continue this lovely conversation another time," and then there was a poof.

Yuyake took breath. Sure, one guy was still in room, but certainly he'd be leaving. The dodger of death noticed Brain waves involuntarily moved behind her lids and she chocked.

He was in front of her.

She held her breath, but it merely accentuated her pounding chest.

"You know I'm here,"

She squeezed her eyes tight. _"Just go away! Go! You're not here! I can't hear you!"_ it was a childish tactic that solved nothing, but it wasn't like she could do much else.

The man in black turned the darkness of his mask to the girl before him.

Something wasn't right...

He crouched and grasped her hair with gentle force and tilted her head back; he wanted a good look at her when she finally gave in. Only she didn't. The stubborn denial on her features was unwavering and a bit of an annoyance. "Look at me, Bokuso-chi," she flinched at the low octaves of his tone before following orders. The look in her eyes... She was... missing something. There was a flash of red and he entered her mind. It doesn't take him long to find the discrepancy.

"You've sealed the memories of our last encounter," he stated. Yuyake raised a brow at him, but he merely placed two fingers at the base of his face.

"Release!"

The memories flowed forth. That's all she did in her captivity? A bit of a let down, but probably for the best. . .

It was better than being milked for info.

Though now she was a traitor to her country... Eh. They would have thought she was a traitor anyway if they saw her getting spar-happy with her captor...

It was just a lose-lose situation.

"I lured you here," he confessed, making another sign so his hand pulsed with Chakra. He placed his palm on her ear and, slowly, the ringing faded and the ache eased. The relief was fulfilling and the girl leaned absentmindedly into the healing touch.

"Good luck on the finals," and he was gone, leaving the confused girl on her butt. She stood and walked with haste. She really could use the embrace of Naruto right now because that was confusing and weird and random.


	15. Welcome home, time to train!

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

 **Previously**

"Good luck on the finals," and he was gone, leaving the confused girl on her butt. She stood and walked with haste. She really wanted to be around people right now because that was confusing and weird and random.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 15: Welcome Home! Time to train!**

Yuyake made her way home, the day after the preliminaries. She'd spent the night at Naruto's, not wanting to confront her mother about the betrayal of her team. But you can only dodge a problem for so long. So she returned. In the space in which shoes were removed, Yuyake heard a voice. It was stubborn and slightly grainy, definitely older. "Aw, come now Yoru, what about my research!"

Yoru? Her mom?

The girl was quiet as she sneaked to the living room, within was her mother draped in her usual loose lavenders with a tie of baby blue around her waist. The man at her feet was tall when standing and in baggy green-greys with a slight drape of red on his shoulders. She didn't see his face till the long pony tail of white spikes was swished back by a head jerk.

Yoru seemed to speak to the man, waving him off, she wanted nothing to do with the aged pervert. Their previous relation had been just a fling, nothing more. Though her stance said different. The way her fingers kissed her collar bone had that feminine edge to it; the manner in which the subsequent arm placement punctuated the perk her bosom was seductive, and the rounded hip that pronounced itself was inviting.

Her mom was being a tease.

And it sickened the girl.

Ew!

Breakfast knocked at the back of the girl's throat when a blemish-less foot temptingly parted the mother's garment. The eagerness of the male was growing hot, escaping out his nostrils as blood.

That was enough. Yuyake loudly slammed the door of a nearby bathroom to exclaim her arrival, and the adults turned to regard her.

A pause.

 _"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry you had to see that! Go! Shew, you perv! Get out!"_ She banished the male who quickly left on his own accord. Being caught by children was one thing, but being caught by the child of the woman he was hitting on was just disturbing.

The mother approached her daughter and blushed lightly at the way the distaste stretched the young features. She was such a bad parent...

 _"Uh"_ she fumbled. _"How was the exam?_ " nailed it.

Yuyake could only speak back to the mother when the woman's waves were slowed. Her innate frequency was too fast for the child. _"Turned out the teammates were replaced by Orochimaru's henchmen"_ the mother jumped back. _"He would have killed me if hadn't gone missing_ " now her face contorted into apologetic pity, _"And he tried kill me again, but I ran."_

The woman took it hard, the look on her daughter's face explained who she blamed for the incident, and it hurt. _"Come now dear, that's not mommy's fault! How could she have known? Though she is sorry..._ " she pleaded her case, dropping to her knees to level with her girl. _"You blamed Kakashi-Sensei for my disappearance, I suppose now we're even?"_ the irritated statement stabbed. The mother couldn't understand why she was so bad at this protection thing! She inwardly sighed, she supposed she had this coming. _"Ok, I get what you're saying, I'm sorry I put you in such a situation, and I'm sorry I took you from your team, I'll fix it"_ she held the girl's shoulders. _"Are we balanced?"_ a smile from the younger. " _Like mind and body..._ " and they wrap themselves in arms. It was a fast resolved issue, but that was because they were mentally driven people.

 **~X~**

Yuyake went out later to take a look at some flowers. She was thinking about taking them to see those that had fallen during exams. So Sasuke and Lee. When she heard what happened to the ball of energy, it was sad. It was an odd feeling, but, still, she couldn't bring herself to be enraged with the responsible red head.

It wasn't his fault he was like that.

Though excusing the monster made her feel guilty.

Well, what was done was done.

She searched her memory for the proper floral arrangement, what would be a good flower for Them?

Oh! A statice! The flower of fond memories. Perfect!

During her walk to the store, she's almost knocked over by a flash of orange... Was that? As if to confirm her suspicion, the speeding boy called out a cocky, "I'll send ya a post card!" and it brightened her face.

Naruto was always there to heat her up when her heart got a bit chilly.

Once at the shop, she picked a bouquet of only statice. The lush purple actually did bring forth memories of fond bonds. Wow, what an accurately named flower.

On the way to the Hospital, she got distracted by friends, Shikamaru mostly, but she ultimately made it. She was escorted to the room and the boy within it is not happy. Sasuke looked frustrated. "Oh pardon me, I must take care of something" The nurse who'd brought the Bokuso-chi dispersed.

The Uchiha turned to the girl, and she tilted her head in inquiry, "What's wrong? I'm stuck in this place when I should be training for the final exam," he explained. The girl raised a brow and pointed to the window, and it shocked the bed-written boy. Was she actually suggesting he leave? Sure, he'd thought about it, and he was closer and closer to going through with it, but he wasn't expecting anyone else to condone his reckless behavior.

The girl in black merely shrugged. It was just a thought. His ultimate decision was his own. Besides, while he would be at full strength by the test, he would have been left behind by the progressing competition. It was for the best, so he didn't wind up back here. Plus, she and Naruto would be training, why shouldn't he?

He took a moment to calculated her real intention, but this was it. She was really advocating for his departure. Great! With a robust eagerness, the boy flung the duvet forward and hopped out his bed. He crouched and pulled his bag from beneath the structure for sleep. Yuyake sat on the mattress and watched him fling open his wardrobe and snatched it all at once, shoving them into the belly of the baggage.

When the burlap material had been sealed, the girl extended her flowers to the boy. He had gotten dressed in the bathroom some where between all the shoving and storing.

He looked to the purple flowers and raised a brow. Really? Flowers? She knew he didn't like flowers. . .

She shoved them deeper into his face, and he looked to hers for the degree of seriousness in her.

She was pretty freakin' serious. She'd gone through the trouble to go get them and had spent her money; he had better take them!

He sighed, "You're such a weirdo," and she beamed bright a smiled of triumph when the flowers were taken into his grasp. The boy wasn't as enthused. Now he'd have to stop home. The shinobi in blue flung open the window and pulled his luggage with him. He waved a parting word, and he was gone.

The girl stood. What a great visit! She left the room and now she wondered about for Lee.

She had taken half the bouquet from the bunch before she gave it to Sasuke. She had plenty for the Taijutsu-master-in-training, the only question was 'where was the boy of green?' She decided not to be escorted to his room, leaving her to, instead, follow his determined thoughts. There was something wrong though. The usually self-assured mind had cracks of doubt and she didn't like it.

That wasn't there before.

As she focused; she found it actually had, it was simply beginning to resurface after who knows how long. With this in mind she was not surprised to find him outside. Doing push-ups no less.

Before her she saw not a boy with physical injury, but a brain of gold beginning to tarnish and she knew then. She had to leave him be. She squatted on the ground in front of him and decided to keep count of his progress.

167, 33 to go.

 **~X~**

The Lee situation turned out to be very heavy with emotions, and she could barely stand it. Heck, her eyes were still a bit blurry from the tears she refused to let fall.

So she decided to train, not only to get her mind off it, but to remind herself how lucky she was to be able to.

So she stood in solitude amongst the grass. Her movements calibrated to their tune, and she memorized their choreography. Every bend in their bodies was translated to a punch or a kick, and when she had her script, she waited. There's a moment and the calm theater of a campestral accepted the girl as an actor.

Before she could play her part, she was flanked from behind.

By who? She had no idea! All she knew was he was grown, male, and crushing her!

Her body had curled uncomfortably and the only limb safe was her extended arm that wiggled its surrender.

Who was this guy?!

 _"Oh my gosh you've grown up so cuuute!"_

She was related to him?

He finally sat up, but he brought the girl's body with him, his arms still suffocating her.

Ok, she had an idea of who this was.

She tapped his arm and he released. _"Oh, Sorry!"_ tiny lungs open. The girl twisted onto her bum to take in the guy, and her guess was correct.

Honoo Bokuso-chi, AKA, The Wandering Flame.

He stood and struck a pose as if expecting to be admired. And he was. He stood a little taller than Kakashi in his glory, and he wears a similar bottom. His top had two layers, one of mesh and one of jacket. He's in all black and there's a curl of fur around his neck.

He looked like some wanna be gangster or something.

It was cool in that still kind of funny way.

 _" I haven't seen you since you were a baby! You look so adorable now! Cause let me tell you, you were an ugly infant" _The awe dropped from her features.

Ok, screw this guy.

The girl hopped up and walked off, but he followed with ignored apologies.

 _"Wait! Who else will train you?"_ he bargained, getting on his knees before her with pleading eyes that fade from red to orange.

Sigh.

She _could_ use the help...the man remains in his compromising pose, all in an attempt to erase the malice spread by his earlier actions. Fine... A pat of forgiveness was placed on his head of red curls, and he stood to his height in renewed jovial spirits.

Great!

He watches the heiress of his people point South-West of their position, and the digit confused the male.

What was that way? Uh... let's see... He was supposed to train her so what was over there that had to do with training?

Oh! The Bokuso-chi training grounds!

He crouched, _"Sorry. But no go kiddo. I'm not stepping a foot in there"_ and the girl shrugged. Whatever, his choice. _"Now, let's start with what you think needs work, what are your weak points?"_ and the girl pondered. Personally she thought she was just all around weak, especially after the Orochimaru incident. She preformed two jutsu, and she was out of it for days! Pathetic...

She moved a flat horizontal hand from head-level to the airspace of her hip and Honoo believed the girl wished for him to slow his frequency? Whoa, she could actually talk? This he had to hear, he had already been prepared to get a pin and paper or had expected her self-evaluation to take way longer. He was sure she'd be spoiled and would have high opinions of herself.

It only further liquefied the girl's confidence in her ability when she still couldn't connect after his output was half-ed.

Man she sucked.

Had she always sucked this bad?

 _"Everything,"_ she can finally get out when he had tripled his wavelength. _"I have so little Chakra, and waste most of it on Brainwaves and speech."_ now being a perfect example. The brown-skinned male squatted in contemplating thought. He posed appropriately, and Yuyake noticed his headband around his wrist. She was surprised to find the metal plate smooth and without a village insignia. Where was his leaf village symbol? She searched but only to find every slip of metal without impression.

What was it supposed to mean?

"Yo! Whoa! Honoo!? What brings you to these here parts?" An Anbu in gear warped into their vision.

Akane. He turned to the girl, and they bumped elbows and locked fists. "What? That creep is in town? Great, now I gotta watch the fences whenever I'm at a bath house." She shook her head, responding to something Honoo apparently 'said'.

The youngest of the familial three curled into herself but not too much as to seem awkward yet not too open as to seem robotic. She raised her chin from its place in her neck but not too much as to seem cocky. Shoulders back but not too far, or she'll look weird. She critiqued everything, feeling she needed to seem worthy to outsiders of the attention and blood she shared with the two before her.

How should she position her hands? Having them together would appear like she's closed off, but in her pockets was too aloof... Maybe folded? No, that looked too formal. What are they doing? She observed their posture and took notes on the manner in which they stood. This wasn't helping, they had the flawless combination of formality and familiarity, and she couldn't peg it. Maybe they were more relaxed? Oh, but that made her slouch.

Ok, ok, she was taking this too seriously.

. . .

Maybe if she just straightened her back a little bit. . .?

"What? You're training Yuyake? Oh, I wish you had sent word ahead of you, I put in a little vacation time to do the same," The male looked apologetic but was waved off.

"It's too late for that, it goes into effect in a couple hours, I'll just help you with her"

Yuyake tensed.

They'd both be here?!

The feeling she got from the news was an amalgamation of excite and terror.

"Well, I gotta get going, gotta get the run down of the plan, I couldn't get the exam day off, which is fine, I mean, I would've been there anyway,"

Honoo's expression saddened. "Yeah, he's working the Anbu hard as security for the event. I just came to tell Yaki-yaki that She'd be fighting some sound dude named Dosu," The woman turned to her sister, "You'll be fighting some dude named Dosu," Behind her Cat mask, the Red Thorn smiled at her funny.

Dosu?

As in Dosu Kinuta? The sound guy the small girl beat in the preliminaries?

Wow, that guy had to have some connections...

Well, she beat him once, she could do it again. Only that wasn't entirely true, some Bokuso-chi techniques grew weaker with every time the same enemy was exposed to it. Like Fatal Fallen and Discord(the scrambling of thoughts). Others like Silent Mind were deadly and could affect an enemy the same way each time, but were chakra consuming. Though there were some that had the same effect every time and didn't drain a user.

 _"_ _Alright, we'll start without her, she can join in when she's ready"_ Yuyake glanced around. Her sister had left! Great, now she looked like a jerk for not saying good bye.

 **~X~**

A disappointment kunoichi plopped on her rear and tossed her head back in exhaustion. _"And this is only a few hours in!"_ she reminded herself. A scroll was pulled from the depths of Honoo's pocket and with it and his Chakra, a bag was born and from it: a box was procured.

 _POOF!_

A red head of female gender was about them and the black haired child wondered the last time she'd seen the prodigy without her gear. Her top is simple grey and long sleeved and her bottoms are black. "Yo," Her gaze shifted to the lit-up male of legend. "Daifuku? yeah, I'll have one" She took from his box before it's offered to the resting Kunoichi in black. Honoo downs an entire bottle of sake and when his demeanor doesn't change in the slightest, Yuyake realized he'd been drunk since he got here...

Break was short, and they were back to work on developing the small girl. They went hard and constantly, and she took in all she could till her legs refused her usage. And even then, still, she pressed. It wasn't till the last day with Akane that Yuyake felt hopeless.

She wasn't making as much progress as she should be, or as much the two before her would had made if in her ! How was she suppose to protect a clan and unit if she was one of the weakest members? It was a thought that drained her determination.

Outside her funk, her trainers conversed with the wall she had between them. "Wow! You're improving so fast and learning so much!" _"Yeah, I feel bad for your opponent! He'll be all like 'Aww! She's so cute!' and you'll be like 'Yeah but I can whoop your fanny!',"_ "Just wait you'll be amazing!" They looked to the girl, and when they see her defenses against their nonexistent criticism, it bothered them. The trainers frowned when they saw her shift in sitting like she'd done earlier, trying to add to her self-worth with perfect posture. A mindful glance to each other. Then they converged.

Yuyake tensed beneath the strength of their presence. Everything they stood for: Cunning, determination, freedom, strength, and love. They all crashed on top her as expectations, and it weighs her gaze down to their feet. They were so themselves. So un-apologetically independent and adaptively opinionated that they were entirely themselves without fear of being changed by the world around them.

How could she live up to that and more!?

The warmth of two hands engulfed her cheeks, and she was forced to look up from her stupor. She saw no astronomical visions of her future nor any disapproving gazes. Not those, but the warm smiles of her family. "Yuyake, we're proud of you" they spoke in a unison that solidified the truth in their syllables. And the heiress felt it. If her jovial display of teeth was anything to go off of.

 **A/N: ... COMMENT? you know... only if you want XD**


	16. Wrong guy

**Previously**

The warmth of two hands engulfed her cheeks, and she was forced to look up from her stupor and she saw no astronomical visions of her future or disapproving gazes, but the warm smiles of her family. "Yuyake, we're proud of you" they spoke in a unison that solidified the truth in their syllables. And the heiress felt it. If the jovial show of teeth was anything to go off of.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 16: Wrong guy**

They're ready. All ten finalists polished their weapons and reviewed tactics. Those that could, avoided the insomnia the festival prior to brought. Unfortunately, there were those who didn't escape to the realm of sleep. One was Gaara of the Sand who had a beast of ocean's dirt that refused him it. Another was Naruto Uzumaki who had simple nerves. And the last was Yuayke Bokuso-chi who was thinking about topics one should avoid if they wished to be relaxed.

She was curled in the comforter of her home, stretched out on her left side since that is apparently one of the healthier position to dream in. Maybe she'd 'talk' to Gaara a little... but what about really? All that comes to mind is her conflicted feelings towards how harshly he hurt Lee... She supposed that's be a good topic then, huh? now

...

But why not? Bringing it up right now would be so random, especially after a month...

No.

The way he crushed Lee's spirit like that; it had to be addressed.

. . .

 _She asked Gaara why she was it she couldn't be mad at him for what he'd done to Lee. It was simple?- It was because she understood? But he didn't have to do it! Killing wasn't ever his purpose. It's never anyone's purpose, and if it were the case, she, herself, would be dead too. Then her stomach sinks cause **she will be**... He was wanted to know about their bond? Well... she had meant to search the archives to see if it had happened before, but she hadn't gotten around to it. Yeah, she'd do it tomorrow. Yuyake smiled at the boy's curiosity. _

Her expression does a flip, because that wasn't what they were talking about, and she'd allowed them to jump off the rails.

For an hour more they thought about Gaara's mindset and the conversation actually got it to twitch, but no permanent change. Yuyake realized it was never her placed to change people, at least not totally. Maybe she was to more so prep the soil for a seed? Yeah, that seemed about right. But then there's the question of who plants them? Probably Naruto... Then what did Sasuke do?

Her mind is silent save for a few unfinished stutters. She couldn't really think of anything... Maybe it was one of those things only she and Naruto partook in? That was probably it...

At some point the running mind of the small girl tires into a slumber, and Gaara returned to his observation of the dim planet of the night. "It's a full moon" he noted with a hint of ecstasy.

 **~X~**

This... wasn't right.

The exams had started and Naruto had fought and conquered while Shikamaru came and resigned, tactfully. Now it was her turn, but this... wasn't right.

At the beginning of the finals her opponent was not present, but still on the line up. Then when their names were called, she came forth, indulging in the enthusiastic cries of strangers, friends, and family. When she had taken her place, white smoke announce the appearance of Dosu.

Only it wasn't Dosu.

The oblivious crowd and proctor were welcoming to his presence, but it's _not him._

Or at least she thought so...

The boy before her had the same wrappings of his head, only black spikes of hair were freed on top his scalp. The fur and drape of his sleeves were missing too. Originally, the boy had covered every feature of his body, maybe he had switched approaches since she'd ruined that thing on his arm?

Possibly...

And it wasn't like she'd committed his brain wave signature to memory, it was one battle.

Though the frequency of the male before her _was_ familiar. . .

Maybe she was tripping?

"Begin!"

He struck forward, but she conducted him. The way they clash was fast but perfect. It seemed practiced, which was odd. With her not attempting to scramble his mind, and he not shattering her ears, they had entirely different attack strategies than the first time. She kept her back to him but her head turned constantly, switching which side to observe from. She threw back elbows and feet and swung around or shot back hands , but he met each with his own blow or just air. It frustrated the girl cause his patterns seemed familiar, like he hadn't changed at all.

How had he stagnated but still matched her? She'd trained her butt off!

 _CLASH!_

She improved!

 _DODGE!_

She should be above him since he hadn't trained!

 _CLASH! CLASH! DODGE! DODGE!_

Her anger bubbled and each pop flecked acid onto her self-restraint and compressed air in her gut. Deeper and deeper her brow sunk upon her eyes and parts of her lip raised to bare teeth. She attacked. Low! Low! High! Middle! and he saw each one approach. Block! Block! Dodge! Block!

If she flipped to smash her feet into his back, he caught her with his fore arms and sprung her to square one.

It infuriated her. How dare he?

How dare this Dosu Kinuta?

She would have expected a challenge if he had changed too. But he hadn't! He was complacent and made the girl's efforts seem like they progressed her little in comparison. Heck, even that wouldn't have bothered her so much if it weren't for the way his cheeks rose to his eyes with his lip corners, announcing the magnitude to which he was enjoying her failure to better herself.

 _POP!_

The heck was so funny?

 _POP! POP!_

Was her time wasted a stupid punch line?!

 _POP! POP! POP!_

Screw This Guy!

She turned to face him, and he pulled back, watching her from beneath the curl of his brow.

So smug!

Her explosive rage seemed to reach for the beast within her mental companion, but while it fed him life, he felt he should inform her that he killed Dosu Kinuta last night.

Her eyelids spread wide and the recognition authorized her opponent. Rods of metal shoot from his body, and they're flung at her. Her head tilted to parallel to ground and the air rippled.

 _TING!_

the acute scream of the repelled metal was nothing to the hollers in her mind. The boy across from her threw his hands in the air. "I forfeit," he pronounced.

Now! He was in front of everyone! This was her chance. She snatched up a cold line and rushed for him. Her vision tunnels and his death is certain until she was snatched up by the proctor. "That's enough, he forfeit," and, in her excited state, the girl was tempted to swing on him too.

 _"No! You don't understand! That's-"_

 _POOF!_

The impostor was gone along with Yuyake's will, and she drooped in the Proctor's arms.

That was the masked man. . .right under everyone's noses.

She hopped down from the man's grasp, and she returned to where she'd been waiting. The trip there was filled with her speeding train of thought and her eyes wide in bewilderment. She couldn't believe that had just happened. There was no way that man had just waltz into the leaf village... to _spar_ with her...really it was more like toying. The man was clearly skilled and he'd obviously been there at the preliminaries. He knew what the boy actually looked like, still he changed it, personalized it, and messed with her head.

When she was within the viewing box, Naruto rushed to her. "Whoa! That was so cool, you fought nothing like last time" he observed. He watched her expression, "What's wrong, Yuyu?Oh! Could it be you're upset you didn't get to try out all your new moves on him? Yeah I had that problem, too" he attempted sympathy. She didn't changed. Her sunset eyes just kept watching him for signs of intelligence. It was awkward. Jeeze, where was Sasuke? He read the girl's expressions and gestures like subtitles. Yuyake looked from him to Gaara, who graced her with his attention. But only briefly as he turned back to wait for his match.

As time continued, the shock of the fight had dwindled, but the new worry of Sasuke's whereabouts thrived in the empty space. Where was he? _"You know, I felt Gaara get really excited a day or two ago"_ the memory pricked her. Knowing Gaara, it probably meant he'd killed someone. What was worse was she remembered he was in the general area as Sasuke's training grounds.

But he wouldn't kill him. . . right?

The need for assurance was far too great and she traveled across the room toward the boy in her mind. Spectators watched with worry for the girl's mental condition as she sat on the railing of the opening. Gaara was so trained on looking at the field, though no battle had riled him up like Naruto's. He wondered if he'd get to fight him too, eventually.

Heat.

Yuyake's hand curled beneath his jaw-line before applying light pressure of guidence. He allowed his head to sway and he met her eyes. She wanted to know if he had killed the Uchiha? If he had, then why would he be here? Her thoughts felt calmer and he didn't understand why she was so afraid of death. She wasn't afraid it; she just didn't force it. Especially not on those she held so dear. But holding people dear was useless and not part of his purpose.

Maybe his purpose wasn't to kill life, but to protect it.

His brain twitched with reconsideration. Still no permanent changes. By this point, the girl had moved to encase his face with herself. Her hands upon his cheeks and her forehead on his, hair brushing where it may and she toasted his face with her breath.

His power allowed him to control sand and he lived in an empire of it. Perhaps he was meant to use the sand around his people to protect them, and the special sand he possessed to protect himself.

He didn't buy it. After all, that's not what mother said.

How did he know? Blue of his eyes stared up at the still frame of day's end.

He wasn't there, maybe he was lied to if his father was such a jerk. Maybe his mom actually thought he could do so much good.

This was the most public the two had been about their odd binding, though they never intended to hide it. Gaara saw it as a sort of experiment. His wondered partially how long his interest in this bond would last before she bored him. He knew that currently his mind was set to learn the level of uniqueness in their bridge, when that questioned was answered, he'd see if he was still willing to let her exist. For now, he tolerated.

Yuyake found it pleasant that she got to understand his struggle without him having to dive in harsh memories. She too was curious but loved the constant company, she was never alone, and that was nice.

Those around them watched in foreboding silence, unsure of the outcome as the faces of the two engaged remained passive.

"Hey, Yuya," The shared mind snapped out of it and half regarded the boy as the other returned to his waiting.

She nodded for him to continue. "What was that? When you were on the field and you stopped those metal things? " he ventured and she smiled, excited to explain her new ability, though she pondered the most concise approach to the definition.

 _"I can solidify brainwaves with Chakra"_

Yeah that summed it up.

The blonde beamed, "That's so cool," he praised but she shook her head and tapped him on the chest. Him? "I'm Cool?" she nodded, and he crossed his arms behind his head. "Aww, it was nothing!" and Yuyake came down from the metal to be on his level.

They move from the supposed monstrosity and finally the blue-eyed boy spoke his concerns, though lowly. "Hey, what was that just now? With you and no brows?" The girl waved it off, she didn't feel like explaining just this minute. _"You're doing that thing again, not trusting them,"_ she mentally reprimands herself. Her mind was right, keeping things from them was like lie. It was like distrusting. She didn't want that. Then she realized she had a lot to tell her team, and probably vice versa.

 _"_ _The team needs a truth circle."_

There's a gust.

"Whoa! Is that Sasuke!?" Naruto zipped behind her and onto the field, dragging an unsuspecting Shikamaru with him. She too turned to see the boy. It was him! Thank goodness, she was about to be disqualified, and that wouldn't have been fun.

Wait.

Where was- _?_ She waved her head and caught sight of the red head just before he disintegrated into sand grains.

Only he didn't.

Gaara walked to the steps.

He walked.

The choice worried the girl, and she was not sure why, but it did. A leaf drifted into her sight, and she was reminded of the Uchiha the sand boy was off to fight. Her premature mother instinct nipped at her fear, and she stared viciously after Gaara, giving him detailed threats about how she'd break all the rules and jump in if needed! Forget dying for companionship! Forget the peace! Forget everyone's adrenaline for the fight! And forget their bond! She may be seem weak to the beast of sand curled in his belly, but make no mistake, she'd take them both down!

Gaara stopped.

And he looked to her.

There's are thoughts that flood Yuyake's mind. Evil thoughts. Thoughts that curl around her resolve and audacity and strangle them out of her. It hates her, the beast. And it no longer wants her near him. They were not Gaara's thoughts, no, these wreak with the blood of literal millions.

Like that she's release to fall pitifully on her knees and the shell of a body is guided down the steps by its beastly puppeteer.

That's three times she's dodged death now.

Gosh. Was going for a record?

"I don't know what you thought you were doing, but you're one lucky kid. . ." Temari spoke.

Yeah... She knew that.

There was a weird feeling in her brain, it was like a gust from a shutting door, and for the first time since she's met Gaara, she feels completely alone in her mind.

Maybe that was for the best for now? She finally rose to her feet and turned to watch the battle already in progress and-. . .

 _"Wait a lousy minute. THAT UCHIHA STOLE MY OUTFIT!"_ she gripped the railing and leaned forward for better visibility. The boy donned the same black body suit and even some bandages! That fashion thief! The only difference was she had a hood instead of the wide collar and her bandages covered all her arms, fingers, and legs. And she had black gloves.

 _"Ooooh! I'm so mad! I'd tell him about his failure to wear it better if it weren't for the fact it would distract him and get him killed!"_

"Plan?" She turned to Shino. What? Did he say something? "Didn't you hear them mention that this Gaara guy was about to ruin some plan?" he turned to the girl who shook her head. Missing such a beat makes her feel a little should have been paying more attention to her surroundings than her outfit-stealing teammate.

The battle began as a replay, only with a boy in black instead of green. He danced about the air and misdirected the attention, but the beast didn't like reruns. So the familiar attacks are halted by a ball of earth That swallows Gaara. Sasuke tries to by pass it, but it bruised bone when challenged, and attacked all those who attacked it. It was like a metaphor for the social anxiety Gaara suffered from.

Then Sasuske changed his tactic and summoned a visible force of Chakra that cracked like the chirp of a bird. He charges forth, and thousands of birds eat at the sand and the flesh of the boy within. When the Uchiha didn't retreat quickly, Yuyake was in a tizzy. Her heart pound and her feet frantically stomp, all in an attempt to expel mind-clouding feelings and thoughts. Could Sasuke get out? What was Gaara doing? Was one of them going to die? Her worry for her team mate combined with her guilt for not being able to do anything; the emotions are abundant and fill her to the brim till- _CLICK! -_ What was **that**?

Wait.

She looks down at her right arm, only to see it perfectly fine. It doesn't _feel_ fine though. On contrary, there's a burning sensation in it and she felt life's red crawling down her flesh. But she was perfectly fine.

She searches herself, even moving her clothing around to assure herself she's fine, and she is. This wasn't right. If she thought she was hurt or feeling something, seeing that she was alright should have taken the pain away. But it hadn't. She probes her flesh, and it was odd how she feels her own touch but it doesn't hurt her more. It was like the pain belonged to someone else... _"Gaara!"_ She snapped her head to the field. He was bleeding!

Actually bleeding.

But she thought the boy had broke their bond?

What happened next was simultaneous.

A scream penetrated the air as a boy was overwhelmed by pain. He was frightened, worried, and excited all at once.

A girl's back snapped forward, throwing her head back as she chocked on air and she crumbled to the ground. Something was smothering her. It was... pushing her further down into a darkness she could barely take, but only half of her. The Half of her that was with Gaara.

He was being drowned out.

The boy of bugs and shades looked to the girl on the floor. He was the only one witnessing it though: the unison she was in with the crazed killer of a boy. The siblings were too one-track-minded as was the rest of the stadium.

Her head flung forward, and she gasped noisily for air. On the field, The Uchiha retreated but was followed by a monstrous limb of sand and thorns.

This couldn't end nicely.

The limb was slurped up, and, with it, the boy's spirit.

 _CRACK!_

The cocoon devolves to a sandy puddle at the feet of Gaara who had emerged pre-metamorphosis, and injured. Yuyake takes note that the injury is where hers is and-

Feathers.

Beautiful feathers of white and pillows. They fell from the sky, bringing none of the pain that the bond Yuyake had recklessly nurtured did. Only promises of sweet dreams.

 **~X~**

 _"Awaken."_

Yoru brought her daughter from the hold of the genjutsu, and the girl came forth. _"I have got to teach you not to fall for such simplistic Genjutsu, sweety,"_ The mother teased, and Yuyake was embarrassed by her weak point.

 _RING!_

That high pitched octave. It's in her head... and oddly calming...

 _" Pay attention! That ring in you hear is sounded whenever a large number of Bokuso-chi are in combat! It will stimulate your hypothalamus to keep you focused in battle. One last thing: The Order to hold back has been officially revoked!" _

The girl was shocked by the development. _"Get your butts in gear!_ " Honoo pronounces, but it's from afar.

Let the battle begin!

 **A/N: Review? You know... only if you want...**


	17. The bonds that kill us

**A/N: Some of you may hate me for this; PS I'm writing in present tense from here on... Also some of this stuff may not be possible in the naruto world... On the bright side I DREW YUYAKE. Finally, check my profile for the link**

 **BTW (IF YOU READ THE HEART OF A MOTHER): I think I may hold off updating Yoru's story. I may wait till TMK is finished to work on that. I feel like readers may find the fanfics a little synonymous and that's why Yoru's story doesn't get too much attention. I also feel like I put more emphasis on these chapters and T.H.A.M. chapters end up being mediocre...**

 **Then again, some people may not wanna come back after Yuyake's story is finished...**

 **I dunno, PM, DocX, or review to let me know what you would prefer.**

 **I dunno...**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Previously**

Let the Battle begin.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 17: The Bonds that kill us**

 _"But First, we should get rid of this,"_ The mother yanks down the collar of her daughter's clothing, and on the exposed flesh is a marking in black that is the character for 'Mind'. When it is revealed, The girl shies away, covering herself. The shake of the head is a hurricane of hair as she denies her mother, shocking the woman with the disobedience. _"Do you know what that is!?_ _ **That**_ _is the reason the Bokuso-chi shouldn't connect to the enemy!"_ she stressed, surveying the covered marking. The mother rips her eyes from the blemish only for them to be captured by the knowing look in the young girl's eyes...

 _"You know"_ and the parent seems disgusted by the implication. But it was true.

Yuyake _did_ know. She researched it that morning, so yes, she knew all about it.

She knew it happened before, how many times? That was uncertain. Only one time was recorded, and she knew who they'd been. She knew Gaara should have a mark that read "Body" between his shoulder blades. She knew it was like Stockholm syndrome on steroids. Yes, she also knew she had just been extremely unlucky because, for it to occur, the enemy the Bokuso-chi connects with must have the exact polar opposite mindset upon connection. She knew eventually Gaara's pain would be part of her own and that her mindset would soon assimilate his to a likeness, but that was only if in moments of intense emotion, like what happened earlier.

She even knew that, if she messes up, eventually his death would mean hers. And that her death will take his sanity.

But right now she needs this.

The girl points to a fleeing Sasuke, and the mom frowns disapprovingly, _"You want to help Sasuke with it,"_ a nod. Crap. A tightness is in the mom's throat and she's torn, judging by the conflicted look on her face. Well... It would definitely work... it would cut down time needed to find and follow tracks...and the mother supposed the bond couldn't be too far in the stages; it could be broken after the village was saved.

 _"Go."_ and the daughter shoots off like a shadow in fleeting light. A wise decision, it is best to leave the woman's airspace before she changed her mind.

It didn't take long before the the girl catches up with the Uchiha, and he notices her. "Decided to be useful, Bokuso-chi?" he plays and the girl nods smugly. With a knowing tap to her temple, she expresses her usefulness, and the boy catches on. He is barely shocked; of course she could track Gaara.

That's just how good his team is.

Sasuke turns his gaze forward, and the two are in pursuit.

The moments following their reunion are silent. Not just a focused silence either; it has a certain Bokuso-chi glaring while the Uchiha she scowls at pretends not to notice. Honestly, Sasuke is impressed that she hadn't hit a tree yet. Eventually, the set of sunsets digging into his side brings out an attitude, and Sasuke finally acknowledges her.

"What is it? You've been giving me that look since you got here," Sasuke looked to Yuyake. Her disapproving gaze only deepens when she glances down at his attire, and the implication is clear. The boy smirked. "What? Mad that I wear it better?" and an offended fire in her eyes ignites, unmistakably. She thrashes her arms about to express her frustration, but Sasuke's more focused on the way she weaves in and out of trees' way without looking. "Hn," he pronounces, absent minded; the lack of a provoking response extinguishes her flaming countenance, smothering it to a pout, but she kept her eyes on him. After a bit, Yuya decides it best to divert all her attention ahead, but not before she found her peace in the situation at hand. _"Well... at least we look like a bad-A assassin unit"_ she thinks, reaching her solace in it all.

...

Should Sasuke tell her it actually _was_ hers? Her mother had been present during most of his training with Kakashi and when he'd tattered all his clothes, she offered him some of Yuyake's. The dark skinned woman claimed the girl had more clothes than she needed. Despie this, the Uchiha declined, saying he didn't do hoods, so the next day, the mother-figure had cut off the hoods and sewn in the wide collars and the effort is enough to make the boy accept the gift, begrudgingly; it's not until the purple to blue eyed woman eggs for him to admire the back that the boy finds he _has_ to accept it. Why? Because she's gone through the trouble of covering the Bokuso-chi symbol with the standard Uchiha insignia... Maybe he'd inform the girl, if only for her expressive reaction. The boy parts his lips, but they're shut by the sight of familiar collar pallets ahead.

There! The targets!

The sight of their enemies causes the two to shift in mindset, forsaking their playful tone for a dark euphoria. The loving friends turn to deadly killers, and they pass over their prey like shadows before descending with looks of smug, ready to feast upon the weak. They appear as twin entities of Death, and the sense of cowardice they bring curls in the guts of the the sand siblings, becoming so heavy it halts them in their tracks. Their honed stares are from different levels in height, but their message of inevitability is clear. One thing is for certain.

The two have come for them.

The dark twins share a smirk as the fear in their opponents' eyes grows more and more evident.

Pathetic.

"This is as far as you go," the male counterpart foretells, and his presence only further burdens the lead in their muscles.

Konkuro frowns, unsure of what to do. They clearly couldn't outrun them... and Gaara was in no shape to deal with them. Man, it looks like they were toast... Oh man, there's no way they could take them.

"Kunkuro, take Gaara and go ahead, I'll handle this," the blonde female speaks.

Temari is willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of the mission, but Kunkuro tenses at her choice, "What? No way, this Uchiha kid is bad news," He states, just in case she had forgotten, because she didn't seem to realize that fighting these two, by herself, was suicide. Had she not seen the way the boy had reduced Gaara to the state they were carrying? The guy broke through Gaara's ultimate defense for crying out loud! If he could break through solid sand, what could the Uchiha do to _bone_?

Konkuro has always seen his little brother as a demon, so what did that make this kid? Worse than a demon? It was scary, the idea of someone that strong. It only made it worse that the personified nightmare had _help_. The girl only worsens the deal! Her silence was so unpredictable, it what she was thinking? What roamed behind those unassuming eyes? How many times had she considered the puppeteer's death!? he tightens his grip on Gaara's wrist. But her speech was worse, she just jumped into one's mind, and understood them like she was knowing of their deepest secrets. It was unnatural. Not to mention she was able to keep someone like Gaara _**calm.**_ There was no way she was normal! It's like they are a routine: one who soothes and one who kills; one who knows you, and who you don't know.

It's hellish.

The puppet master's fear is justified. Little do the Sand siblings know, the Boku-chiha combo before them is legendary and if their missing member ever joined the fight, it was over. To Temari, this mattered not. The mission and Gaara were far more important than her life.

"Just go, besides, I've been waiting for this" Temari reiterated and begrudgingly, the brother accepts the distraction and goes ahead. "Yuyake, you stay here, and I'll go ahead, Gaara's mine," Sasuke claimed and the develop fills the blond with relief. Before the orphaned nightmare can part, the female death grabs his arm and shakes her head. An Uchiha frowns, "What? stay behind? they'll get away!" he proclaims, and his discontent is taken as a blood lust that rattles the sand girl's bones. Yuyake is steadfast, un-phased by his rage, and Sasuke is quick to succumb with sighed. "Fine, but we finish her quick," he demanded and the battle-ready telepath pounds her fist in agreement. What?

They were both going to stay behind to slaughter the lamb? That was... was Overkill!

. . .

They stand there for a moment, only a moment, but to Temari it feels like it's for so much longer. She waits for them, but they just stare her, peering into her sould and beckoning her deepest fears for; they inhale them- _devour_ them, showing her they were far worse than anything birthed from the darkest recesses of her mind and it's bone chilling. Their famished breath is tainted by their meal and it thickens the air to a miasma. At this point, Temari would have preferred it if they had **_become her fears_**. At least then she'd know how to deal with them, how to toned them one. But no, they remain unfiltered and unchallenged.

Finally, they charge for her, and the sand sister quickly regrets her decision. She attempts to deflect but she just winds up thrashing uselessly like a powerless child. She keeps flailing and swings, but only strikes air every time. She tries to be faster but it just drains her of her breath and energy; they live in her shadow, remaining in the brim of her vision. She couldn't them! They... they were too fast! He low reserves bleed out quite and she's left at they mercy.

But they have none.

The strike together and it's hard. Temari curls into pain as she awaits her demise, but killing her is no fun, because she is no challenge.

So they leave her there to collect dust and wallow in her failure to so much as amuse them.

Darn it!... She was useless...

They catch up quick and Konkuro curses their existence. _"What about Temari?"_ he fears the worse, but the girl makes her fading presence known. She's in need of chakra and the a break. "Temari! When I didn't see you, I feared the worse..." the boy admits honestly. He doesn't put any outcome past the two before him. The way they move in deadly unison and with such perfect efficiency ismore than worrying. And the black they dress in made it seem like they were funeral-ready.

"Go... I can hold them off a little longer... " the four-pony-tailed girl clutches her stomach. She was already done for, she might as well fight to the end.

Besides, she wouldn't survive her little brother's rampage. Not at her state.

"No," The puppet master past the red head to the blonde. "You two go on ahead, You're way too low on chakra," he explained, stepping up for his turn at the Boku-chiha. Temari is hesitant, but ultimately assumes the task as she dashes further ahead. "Do you wanna fight him togethe,r too?" Sasuke asks his female counterpart and it blows a warm bubble in the girl's heart when she hears his tone is an offer rather than a question.

The boy was starting to warm up to the teamwork!

Konkuro readied himself for a fight. What was he going to do? They were-...were just so giddy to kill together! He shakes his fear from his head; they have a weakness.

They may seem perfect, but there seemed to be something missing, a teammate or something, and he felt he could exploit that.

"You go ahead, I'll fight him," The voice is born from the leaves, revealing itself as Shino. The unexpected presence seems to humanize the black genin's. even if only for a little. It's Sasuke who questions him first. "Shino? How did you find us?" and the boy simply points to the Bokuso-chi. "I planted a beetle on her before she chased after you, a female beetle, and she gives off a scent. Nothing you would have picked up on, but the male of the species can, and he'll follow her anywhere," Yuyake watches the creature crawl out her hood. Huh, she hadn't noticed her...

"Now you two go on ahead. You wanna finish your battle with Gaara right? Well I have the same thing with this guy, since our battle never even started," and Sasuke smirks, he never realized how like minded he and the bug tamer were.

"Alright, we'll go ahead, don't lose to this guy," Sasuke preps to part. "Don't worry give me 10 minutes and I'll catch up to you,"

"By that time, we'll be done," and with the agreement in place, Yuyake flares a peace sign before they're off again.

 **~X~**

They corner their enemy for what was hoped to be the last time, and it is. Cause the monster comes forth and it challenges their resolve. Yuyake maintains her dark aura, but she can't help but notice how she feels Gara's mind being shoved down deeper and deeper, hushed by the rampaging monster.

That can't be good.

The beast has recovered, and he was ready to kill the Uchiha, but when he looked to his opponent, there were two. That mind speaker was here. Why? The passing breeze tossed her hair and hood to the side and she stands with such assurance.

He'd rip that from her.

She did not posses the hatred and craving that he and Sasuke did, but the understanding in her eyes is similar. At least just enough so that she fit the criteria of his prey.

But she shouldn't be here. It ruins what he had been waiting for: a full out battle, his will against Sasuke's! He needed to separate them...

"What's wrong Uchiha!? Can't you face me by yourself!?" the sentient sand challenges, attempting to break them up. The look Sasuke gains is perfect as he turns to the girl to dismiss her, but her eyes are already on him, and never before had Sasuke noticed how much her eyes looked like fire.

She wasn't leaving.

"You'll just- oh well...Doesn't seem like I can," the boy in black relays with a smirk, amused at the girl's stubborn nature.

Yup. That was his team...

"Fine then! Come and fight me! I'll end you BOTH!" he'd show them what happens to those that fight together! They eventually turn on each other and fall apart!

 _Clash!_

The pair attempts to inhabit the jinguriki's shadow, but the creature lives there, too. They fight for dominance, ripping at his grainy flesh and to tear down his defense, but get no where.

They burn, stun, and hit him, but get no where.

The mute kunoichi shoots forward with ready weapons and curled fingers. She digs into him, deeper and deeper but he banishes her from his person.

Man! It was no use, they couldn't get through to him. His defense was too perfect...

 _"Probably because he has so much experience,"_

The sympathetic voice in the girl's mind pulls her punch. Doing so leaves her open and she and Sasuke face the consequences of her actions. Man, she needed to focus. Yuyake stands to the side in order to collect herself, allowing Sasuke to take the lead.

Where did that thought come from? She seals her lids, attempting to find the origin.

Gaara.

it's Gaara who speaks to her, from deep within himself, he reaches for her, and just like always, he can reach her. She feels his sadness and lonely life peck at his sanity. and its disturbing, how true his statement was. All his life there had been people coming after him, trying to hurt him. So he made the ultimate defense to keep them out, to keep everyone out.

Those that 'loved' him and those that 'hated' him.

That was his daily struggle.

The girl returns to reality to see the rampaging sand shouting at everything around it. It was like the grain was trying to scare everyone away.

Crap... How could she bring herself to beat a victim?

"Yuyake!" Sasuke beckons her attention, and she turns to him in her contemplating state. Upon seeing him, she realizes that the Uchiha is struggling and needs her back in the game.

A brown hand is placed over the marking on her chest.

Then her hand clutches the cloth.

She had to protect her family, her home, and her friends. She had to get back in gear!

She dashes forward and falls back into her and Sasuke's intuitive perfection.

But perfection is not enough.

Gaara's defense is to great, and he's only getting faster. His Offense becomes almost un-dodge-able. In a desperate act, Sasuke prepares to uses the light of gods, but Yuyake stops him.

"What?" he looks to her and she beams as a certain blond and pink combo arrives. "Naruto!" the Uchiha greets as he turns to the boy. Thank goodness, they needed reinforcements and fresh minds. They regroup quickly before they can be attacked, but it's not fast enough. The hurt boy beneath the sand feels mocked by their team's closeness, and it causes him to lash out at the weakest link.

He didn't need them.

He'd show them!

He show them all!

 _SLAM!_

Yuyake's eyes widened as she traces the arm of the sand demon to the body it pinned to the tree. who had he gotten? Naruto? Ssuake?

Oh man... it was Sakura!

The girl groans as the she feels her life draining from her, ever so slowly. It's Sasuke's eyes that open the widest. "Sakura!" he shouts for her: for her voice, her movement, anything to prove she was ok.

"The sand will continue to harden till it crushes her to death, unless you three can defeat me in time," the sandy monstrosity barks, its voice as grainy as its flesh. It's odd, the way the beastly child's tantrum reminds the two boys of themselves.

So this is what happens when the entire world forsakes someone?

United, the original members of team seven stand on one branch. They shield the enemy from their sights using the shadows of their bangs. The boys couldn't bare to watch their younger selves that lie just beneath the sand, it was too painful. Meanwhile, the brown skinned girl chokes on her attempts to cope with what she was about to do.

They snap their heads up to look down at the sand monster.

How dare he?

How dare he?! How dare he harm a member of this squad!? Sure Yuyake didn't know the pink haired kunoichi well, but she had taken care of Naruto and Sasuke when Yuyake couldn't be there. For that, the Bokuso-chi would protect the Haruno with her life.

Team seven drops the sympathy from their faces. They drain it out their blood and replace it with resentment and adrenaline. Now they were ready to take him down.

"It's _time we beat some friendship into this punk"_ Yuyake cracks her knuckles.

And they charge.

They attack and they anticipate each other's every move. Every explosion is expected, every two/three-man-combo executed without words. Every punch is full of companionship. Every kick is bursting with teamwork. Every jutsu is combined with another's. And every attack proceeds another; it's like they're taking turns. Everything was in sync, even the combination of Shadow clones with lightning charges that scrambles the brain. Everything except a failed attempt at a summoning jutsu...

And it pisses Gaara off.

How dare they be stronger than him? How dare they fight together and conquer? How dare they flaunt their steel-strong friendship?

He'd kill them!

He'd kill all of them!

All who hated and fought against him like everything was his fault. They will all die, because he was strong and needed no one!

 ** _POOF!_**

"I never thought you three would bring this out of me," He speaks as he emerges from the cranium of the tamed Shikkaku.

"Oh man, we're no where near close to beating this guy," Sasuke grumbles, "And I'm running out of Chakra" he adds. Naruto's eyes widen as his teammates are at his sides in balls of panting messes. "Hey, come on guys, we gotta do this for Sakura," he orders and the mention of the damsel forces them to their feet, but they're aware they can't force much else out themselves.

Yuyake gives a disapproving shake of the head. No way was she and Sasuke making it to the end of this battle...and blue eyes widen when he picks up the mute's message, "What!? No! We're a team! We gotta save Sakura together!" he grabs Yuyake's shoulders and her smile is apologetic. She doesn't feel too bad about leaving the boy alone, no matter what Sasuke said, Naruto was kinda of the team leader. But he can't do it. Not alone. If Naruto defeated Gaara all by himself, and if he had to kill the boy, then he'd have to carry that burden, alone. He needed them there. He needed his team to have his back.

One of Naruto's frustrated squeezes of her arm seems to drown her with a new found strength. Whoa...Did Naruto just give her some of his chakra? From the look of the boy, he didn't notice the portion missing. Man this guy was epic.

Yuyake shifts her gaze to Sasuke and Naruto is confused. He doesn't get her request as he turns to the Uchiha. What did Yuya want him to do with Sasuke?... Maybe what the blonde did to her? Naruto presses his palms on black-clad shoulder of his rival, and the gesture confuses the raven haired boy. "What are you-... Naruto," the Yuyake can tell by that Sasuke's reaction it had worked. They were back in business!

"Alright, lets get started! Summoning Jutsu" a cloud of smoke and the twins of black are surprised the boy in orange gives the jutsu another shot, "Give it up idiot, it didn't work last time!" But the massive red amphibian they're now standing on begs to differ with the condescending Uchiha.

At first the toad of legends refuses to aid, but the smaller toad-summon-failure from earlier reasserts himself, establishing the team's girth, and the protection they provided. Now the toad's excited! At least, if the way he cuts off the Shikkaku's arm off is an indication. However, even their help can barely keep up with with a tailed beast.

They needed to wake Gaara.

Yuyake stays outside the transformation jutsu and she's far beyond astonished when the slick flesh of a toad turns into fiery orange fur of the nine tailed fox. She hangs on tight when they spring forward and latch onto the sadistic jinguriki. The brown skinned girl can't help but revel for a second at how perfect the transformation. She notices flames burning the sand and the girl is certain that is Sasuke's doing.

Man she had a cool team!

"Hurry-"

"Up-"

"Yuyake!"

her allies remind her of her task and her nod is fierce, just like her punch to Gaara's skull.

He awakens with a start. Was he... Had she broken her Jutsu? the flesh of the boy's brow sinks, and he suddenly can't seem to remember why he didn't kill her sooner. "I've had enough of you. Sand coffin!" Yuyake is swallowed into the belly of the once comforting grains.

 _TH-THUMP!_

Crap, she'd gotten too close!

 _POOF!_

"We've had enough of you hurting our friends!" _BAM!_ 3 boys of similar origins clash, and the pain is enough to free Yuyake from her prison, but not Gaara.

Not yet.

The four fall into the cushion of branches, three together and one alone. The black-haired twins are left panting, the chakra they barrowed once again depleted. It's up to Naruto to finish it. He rises and looks at the grim reflection across from himself. There's a puff as something in the background disperses, and its the perfect cue for their 's the boy with his friends behind him that lands a blow; his counterpart slowed down by the heavy loneliness that slowed his muscle.

Sasuke and Yoru roll out the tree's clutches to join their grounded comrade. They face the still boy who's hair is a blend of the blood, both of those that loved and hated him.

In this moment, the leaf village's three become judge, jury, and executioner, but they find the verdict difficult to carry out.

Sure... he'd killed so many, innocent and not so, but they understood why. He was alone. He started off alone. And when he was given someone to love, hate puppet-ed them to turn, and he was left alone again and forever. Naruto and Sasuke had felt that solitude and lost, and it was undeniably damaging, but Yuyake couldn't fathom the experience. Though she'd been shown it, she didn't believe that she'd have the will power to survive such a tragedy.

Still, the life of one of their own was in the balance, and it forces their limbs forward in order to carry out the unjust punishment. It's heart breaking, the way Gaara, the real Gaara, begs them to stay away, and it hurts for the three to continue despite it, but they must.

They have to save Sakura!

"Hey! Naruto! Sasuke!" it is the gruff voice of a pug trained for combat; he pounces forward. "Alright, that's far enough, Sakura will be ok, the sand is gone..." and the dismissal from their duties is pure ecstasy for their minds and spirits. So much so till the limping members happily crumble besides their fallen teammate.

There's a halt when Temari and Konkuro appear to finish off they who dare harm their blood. But- "No, that's enough. It's over," -they're halted by their repenting brother. "But Gaara-" the brother attempts, but the look on Gaara is content with the outcome, if not overwhelmingly so.

"Alright."

When the siblings of sand have parted, Paku turns to the children upon the grass and he's never seen people so happy as they lay, Naruto in the middle on his back with Sasuke and Yuyake on different sides, turned towards the boy and they all share that subtle upturn of the lips. That day, a new combo of legend was birthed: The Boku-chiha-ki.

The battle was over...

And the Hokage was dead.

 **A/N: If you wanna see Yuyake, I don't think the profile links are working. Go to deviantart and type her name in the search bar. Only pics of her will pop up. THE ONLY CANON VERSION HAS A BLUE BACKGROUND.**

 **And don't forget to tell me what you would prefer with the mother's story.**


	18. What we choose to do

**Previously**

The battle was over.

And the Hokage was dead.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 18: What we choose to do**

Gaara has just emerged from a pool.

It was a deep pool so dark he couldn't find his way out, and so deep no one dared to attempt reach in for him.

He's been in that pool for 6 year and in his occupancy, something else has rules his body. This someone else was also a product of the black sea, a reflection of the boy with a personality so similar to the black liquid, smooth and cold, and everyone accepted it as him.

Everyone but one person.

One girl.

The days had passed monotonously over him whilst he was submerged, and the sky never seemed to notice its light didn't reach him. But when the sun was closest to the water in the evening, it barely notice him, like a twinkle in a river.

It beckoned her, the black sea, to try and snatch him from the liquid, and her distance stopped her from even thinking about the challenge. Then, suddenly, as the sun began to set, the sky was tugged by the pool.

But what did he care? He couldn't see the sky from so deep in the water, its stopping didn't bother him one bit...

That is, till it stepped onto the water.

The sky personified itself as a girl with brilliant eyes and sun-rich skin, and she was just as confused about her existence as he was. She had been so bright that even the red haired boy could see her from below. She did not sink because she was made of light, and She searched the vase ocean for what exactly brought her here.

It peeked Gaara's interest, and he wanted so badly to go to the top to meet her, but he was too heavy with loneliness and hate. So he just stayed where he was, watching her glowing feet press against the shifting waves like they were still glass, and Gaara jolts when the water warms to a comforting temperature, and the feat is welcomed and admired.

He follows her steps until they halt, and before her is the reflexion. The false person takes responsibility for her arrival, and she went along with it for a while, though she knew he was not what she wanted, but he was connected to what she did want.

She returns every time the sun touches the water and each time she pesters him for what she truly desires, and Gaara begins to wish she would stay away.

Why?

Because his reflexion speak of her with an annoyed tone, He hates her brilliance and warms, and how she stops the night from coming sooner, but Gaara begs the reflexion not to kill the girl, and it works, for a short time.

Then she comes when the reflexion least expects it. and searches the water constantly. For what? Gaara isn't sure, but it's interesting to watch her look.

Her gold glow is warm and bouncing off her silky black hair, her smooth brown hands are rushed as they attempt to push the water out her way, to no avail.

 _SPLASH!_

Sea foam blue eyes widened beyond normal capacity. He gets on his oes just to make sure he's seeing it right, and he is.

The evening has her cheeks puffed with air and her head under water.

Gaara just blinks.

Her glow dyes the ocean a rich gold as she her mouth ends attempt to turn up despite her air-filled-cheeks. And if that wasn't crazy enough, she extends a hand towards the sunken boy.

Of course her arm is far too short to reach him, but the display is astonishing.

Then she's caught, she reels back quick and retreats into the sky before the reflexion reaches her.

But the damage is reflexion dreams of ripping off her head and turning the evening red, he plans to kill her when she next comes around.

 _!spaT!spAT!sPAT!SPAT!_

Gaara snaps his head up.

It's three sets of steps.

One pair is the usual Gold. The Second pair is black, somehow darker than the water, and the last set is brilliant yellow.

They race over head till they stop just above him. His reflection greets them and it's harder than the three anticipate to disrupt it, but they do.

 _SPLASH!_

The three of them plunge beneath the water's surface with a flurry of bubbles as announcement.

The air pops and Gaara's eyes widened even more than the first time the girl entered his realm.

The inky liquid suddenly falls into layers of color, from top to bottom is a joyous blue, a relaxing black, and a warming gold. Above him, the phases of the day form a rescue tower: The day is personified as a boy with sky blue eyes and sunny hair, and he's the closest to the surface with his feet just above water, anchoring them in some impossible way; the Night is represented by a boy with black hair and onyx eyes and skin like the moon and stars, and he is held by Day; in Night's hands is the girl, the evening and her hands are empty, waiting for Gaara to fill them.

But they're still not close enough, no, if Gaara is to reach her chocolate embrace, he must struggle against his heavy weight, against the black sea, and against his pessimistic mind.

He has to want to get out.

And he does.

So he prepares himself, baring his heavy insecurities in order to make them light facts, he detaches from the loneliness chaining him to the bottom in exchange for the strings camaraderie pulling him above, and he struggles.

He climbs the dark liquid, conquers it, and locks his hands with the girl so they may pull him out.

When he emerges, he is sticky, and it may take years for he can scrub it all off, but he is light enough now to walk on the black sea. He looks to his three companions and they smile at him, point to the sky. He follows their digits to a lunar eclipse, "That's you," the Day speaks cheerfully.

Him?

What did that mean?

He was the sun that shined at night?

That couldn't be right...

Still, Yuyake pulls him to his underused feet and pushes him to where the sky and sea meet. Before the area seemed so impossibly far, but now it was just in arms reach. he extends his palm, and it merges seamlessly with the sky. There's a rush of emotions that he shunned eons ago and they reinhabit him like a reclaimed home, fixing him up in ways he didn't originally think he was broken in.

And he's grateful.

He turns to the three as they stand shoulder to shoulder. "Thank you," he speaks and they give a simple nod in return. He turns to continue through the floating sea, but stops. He looks back at the three and has to wonder, "Will I see you again?" He didn't mean just the evening, though his blue eyes were steadfast on her form. Again, they nod in confirmation.

Yes, Gaara had been submerged for at least 6 years now, and he was finally floating his his sky again after so long.

 **~X~**

Yuyake was hiding from her mother. . .

Curled up behind a tree and wasting chakra to liken her frequency to that of an animal's.

It was energy consuming, but necessary.

It was quiet, but the sudden shift of the breeze alarmed Yuyake to her mother's presence. The atmosphere thickens steadily as crunching grass nears in proximity.

Another shift...

She's gone.

The rebellious child sighs to herself. Perhaps she'd stay here a while longer... Though she would have to keep manipulating her waves, else her mother would return. It isn't favorable, though; the wavelength she'd chosen made her crave acorns and ventures into trees.

Perhaps some premise was needed: The Hokage's Funeral had just ended. The nights between it and the Gaara fight Yuyake spent bouncing between the homes of her teammates, even Sakura. It was quite interesting to spend a night with the pink haired kunoichi; her pink hair spent it dipped in ninja manuals, and she kept asking Yuyake for a spar whenever the time presented itself. The repeated request merely excited the Bokuso-chi -it gets her hyped to see a ninja so eager to improve herself!- But Yuyake couldn't help much.

The brown girl's new style was hard for the inexperienced to keep up with. At least Sakura was good at defying some of the Bokuso-chi mind tricks that tripped up so many, so that was good; still, it left Sakura feeling useless and cursed to be the one rescued, effectively squeezing Yuya's heart, and forcing her mind to find a solution for the girl in red. Alast, the heiress could only informed Sakura of the true problem: the right teacher was missing.

The sunset-eyed girl went on to give examples like how Sasuke has Kakashi who has the Sharingan; Naruto has the toad sage, or at least Yuya assumed so since the boy could summon toads, which was perfect cause the Sanin apparently knew how to teach the blonde where no one else could; The heiress even mentioned how she, herself, was lucky to get two trainers that balanced out : One who was great at defense and working alone; One great at offense and working on a team, that way her options of developing a skill weren't limited.

It cheered Sakura right up, thankfully, or at least made the girl hopeful; now she was on the hunt for the perfect kunoichi and to become an apprentice!

The day after the conversation was the funeral and all four, Yuyake Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura, converged to attend.

There, her mother stood in robes of black in front of all her fellow Bokuso-chi, and she shot Yuya a look to save for later. Yuyake turns to her friends and bows before moving to her mother's side.

It was proper etiquette after all.

Further off to the mute-family's side is the original heiress, Akane, and Honoo, as self-proclaimed outcasts of the clan, they could not stand quite with them, though Yuyake later found out her mother had asked them to stand with and by her. So since they had turned her down, Yuyake felt all the more obligated to stand by her mother's side.

Yuyake hadn't liked it, the persistence in her mother's eyes. The heiress knew her parent could no longer break her and Gaara's bond because it had moved to the second stage where only she or Gaara could break it.

And they didn't want to.

So she stayed just out her mother's reach and bolted after the services.

"Hey, She's over here," the heiress bristled in shock and shielded herself from any attack. Oh wait. It was just Paku...

But that meant- "Thank you, Paku," A plume of smoke is before the kunoichi to disguise Kakashi's arrival.

Crap.

"Now. Why are you running from your mother? You're upsetting her," he stood bent towards her. For a moment the girl is frozen by the look in her teacher's eye; it's mournful. Sure, they just came from a funeral, but the stare seemed aged, as if it has inhabited the charcoal pupil from many years.

Had he lost someone?

The question answers a lot about his persona and rules, he was off-putting, protective, morally driven, symptoms that most who've lost people suffer from...

Was it the team he and Yuya's mother had been part of? No, he seemed more... angry about that, and he clearly blamed her mother. This person he lost had to be his fault...

 _'Escape!'_

the agenda slams into her like a remembered task and she shifts to tumble from his person.

Only she's pegged with wire.

The brown skinned girl frowns. She doesn't like the method of restraint; it reminds her of Orochimaru.

She keeps her demeanor calm, and her gaze folded. "Well?" he pushes when her eyes relinquish nothing, and his inquiry comes up just as empty.

"Well then, I suppose I'll just take you back to Yoru and-" the girl spits a kunai through the wire, and before the Jonin moves to suppress her, she pulls her collar down to reveal her marked chest.

The one visible eye becomes angry and disappointed.

"I see," is what he says and Yuyake sighs when it seems his thoughts are in the same place as her mother's. She shakes her head and cuddles the symbol like a child she never knew she wanted.

"You can't keep the ties with that Gaara kid. It's too dangerous, you could die," but the girl is steadfast in her defensive that didn't work...

The jonin ponders another response and remembers the girl is more about others than herself. Maybe he could use that.

"If you wont do it for yourself, then do it for him. If Gaara is trying to better himself, wouldn't it be better to let him do it alone? If he changes then finds out about the origin of your ties, he and you will question whether or not he did it on his own," he tries to explain. The flurry of hair he gets is annoying since it pronounces her defiance.

Why couldn't she just understand the reason she couldn't do this?

It wasn't fair to her mother, Gaara, or herself.

 _"I told him,"_

What?

 _"He wants to keep it,"_

Sigh... She just doesn't get it...

"Is that what you want too?" a nod, "Then how do we know he really wants it? It could be your will infringing on his," she shakes her head and she points to her wounds and then her marking, and Kakashi pulls from her a bit. Did he understand that right?

"You didn't feel his pain after the battle, so you think you can't be pursuing his thoughts yet, is that it?" A nod.

The grey haired male sighs. Why were all his children so bothersome? Sasuke and his vendette, Naruto and his knuckle-headed ways, despite how smart she is Kakashi couldn't teach Sakura thing, and now Yuyake and her stubborn nature.

"Fine,"

He straightens to his height, and the girl follows suit, dusting herself off.

"Let's go try and explain this to your mother before she has a heart attack," the girl beams a smile and walks to his side where he places a hand on top her black curtain.

"I'm sure your mom won't be as happy about this,"

 _POOF!_

the smoke clears and, quickly, Yuyake shifts to stand behind the grey haired male, and he steps forth to regard the purple to blue eyed woman who is in a frenzy about her daughter's choices.

"Yoru," He fetches her attention, and the woman turns to him before sweeping her eyes down to her child. She rushes for the child and doesn't miss a beat when a pair of legs step in her way, redirecting her hands to curl around the collar of the Jonin's green vest.

"They've decided to keep it." he starts, and Yuyake tracks her mother's expression in order to follow the conversation. It's not going well.

The woman's face curls in a hot rage.

"He knows of the bond and has decided to willing keep; it without persuasion,"

She points a finger at her child as she holds the man's gaze.

"I know you're worried, but if she were to be bound to anyone, it's a good thing it's the one-tails,"

Her hands fling into the air to express her exasperation.

"Yes I know, but she's making this decision,"

Now her face falls, and she clutches the man's shoulders desperately.

"Then inform her, so she can make a proper choice."

Her posture slumps in defeat and her wavy hair pronounces her turn as she focuses on her daughter.

 _"Do you understand every risk that is being thrusted upon you in this situation?" _

A nod.

 _"Even the fact that people like Naruto and **Gaara** are constantly targeted, and that puts you at higher risk of dying?_ " the mother falls to her knees, hoping to at least guilt her daughter into punking out.

No luck.

The kunoichi nods.

 _"But baby! Your bond could get stronger! And that would put you at risk, and you'd die and mommy would miss you so much,"_ She reminds the girl. The set of sunset eyes is constant in their decision, and it cracks the mother's heart.

Yuyake clinks her head band to remind her mother that she chose a life where death is always lurking, so really this situation wasn't any different.

Only it is.

 _"I can train you to be stronger! I can't stop that boy from dying when his time approaches! Don't you get that I'm worried and scared! Don't you understand what you're getting yourself into!? All for some boy who tried to kill you just a few days ago!?"_

She's frantic!

She's panicked!

she's desperate...

It all shows in her eyes, and it tears Yuyake's heart up. She felt bad for doing this to her mother, but Gaara needed someone there for him, and she wanted to be there, just like her mom was there. If she abandoned him, she was no better than those who made him this way. And how could she believe her life was worth more than his just because she had a caring family and he didn't? Besides, she had faith in Gaara, she'd fought him, he was strong! If he says he's going to change, then he would!

She was done living for herself! what good was that? Sure, she would continue to love and improve herself, but from now on she only lived for other life.

Life like Gaara or Naruto... and she _guesses_ Sasuke too.

So she blocks her eyes from her hurt mother and first teacher and the response is a pressure on her shoulders.

 _"Alright then, as a ninja you must make your own decisions, so I'll leave you be,"_ and the Mother places her trust in her daughter as she pulls from the girl and shows her back to disguise the pain. She leaves, and Yuyake is left with only a palm on top of her head as comfort.

"Don't worry about it, she'll come around," Kakashi fills in the silence, and Yuyake nods, hoping she made the right choice.

She tells Gaara that they're bond is staying. He's sorry? Why? She's the one who decided to continue...Why she decided to keep it? Because she wanted to!

 **~X~**

 _Ting-Gling!_

With the situation about the bond resolved, Yuyake decided to head to the Bokuso-chi Meadow. She found the tallest hill with practice and stood at its peak. Sometimes staring into the distant sky like she was someone important made her feel better.

"Hey! Yuyake!" and she turns and further out in the campestral is Shikamaru.

"I was on my way to cloud watch, wanna come with," and the girl nods.

Doing that made her feel better too.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

"What? I don't want to come with you while you do your pervy research, besides, I gotta find Kakashi-sensei and get him to train me! Why is he always playing favorites with Sasuke?" Naruto slurps up a bowl of ramen and the toad sage besides him cringes at the term. Gosh, this kid...

But he needed Naruto to come with, it was the only way he could think of to keep the Akatsuki at bay...

Time for plan B.

"Oh, that's too bad, I was going to teach you something that would make Chidori look like kid's stuff, but I guess not; I suppose I'll just have to ask Sasuke if he's up for it" he baits and it gets him the fish he wants.

"What? A new jutsu! What are we waiting for let's go!" then the blonde pauses. "Hey um... pervy sage." the sudden shift grabs the legend's attention.

"Hmm? What is it Naruto?" The child taps the tips of his index fingers together, aparently nervous. That was a new one, in the short time Jarayiah has known the brat, nervous was not in the top 100 of his list of adjectives for the boy.

"Well um... I've noticed I learn things pretty well with you or when I'm with my team and uh, even if Sasuke's a jerk, I wanna invite them... that way I can learn this Jutsu easy!" Naruto grins at the last part, regaining the excitement that had begun to dwindle.

It shocks Jaraiyah, but he supposed Naruto would need a lot of help to master the jutsu he had in mind.

"Fine, alright," and the boy is as vibrant as the morning sky.

"Awesome!" he rushes off to find them.

It's Sasuke he runs into first, "Hey! Sasuke!" but the Uchiha is in a hurry,

"What do you want, Naruto? I'm busy," they roam over building roofs. Naruto inwardly frowns, but it was obvious that night-like boy was in the middle of something or at least heading somewhere. Maybe he shouldn't even ask?

...

No, Mama-so-chi always says the worst that can happen is he'll say no. So here it goes.

"Well, I was wandering if you wanted to come with me and the Pervy Sage to do some training!" he offers but the pale-skinned male rolls his eyes at the offer.

"Not a chance, besides I just said I had somewhere to be,"

If he's honest, the denial hurts and makes Naruto slow as the orphaned boy pulls ahead. "Man, you would think that Jerk doesn't know what team work is," had the Uchiha not been there when all three of them took down Gaara? That had been awesome! Unstoppable! Heck, Naruto had never felt that invincible before.

Did Sasuke not feel that too? No, he had to!

...

Maybe where he was going was super important.

. . .

Well... that only left Yuyake.

"I wonder if she felt it too..." the blonde touches his chest with the palm of his hand.

 **~X~**

The boy frowns when he comes up empty. Where was the mute? He looks around himself, searching for her signature black on brown combo when he trips onto a body.

"Ow! Naruto! Watch it, next time," The blond pulls his face from the dirt to look at the Shikamaru. He was curled up defensively with a look of shock. Wait, if he hadn't fallen on him, then who had he...?

"Oh! Yuya! I'm so sorry!" he jumps up and the girl beckons for the breeze to fill her crushed lungs as she held them in wide-eyed pain. While the Nara got away with only having some skin pinched between Naurto and the ground, the small girl had taken on the boy's full weight.

Ow.

When she recovers, she glares at the apologizing boy while he sweats down his back. Her gaze turns demanding and the clumsy boy is happy he's at least getting better at reading her expressions.

"I uh... wanted to know if you wanted to come outside the village with me for a couple days to do some training," Leave the village? She was definitely up for it, but she'd have to convince her mom if that was the case...

"Yuya, what are you-aaaaAHH! Slow down!" Naruto cries as he's dragged along but the kunoichi.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 _" You just have no regards for your safety do you?" _ a distress woman in lavender falls on her couch under the weight of her daughter's recklessness. A paper fan shakes in her palm to administer a theorputic breeze.

 _"First you decide to keep that bond, and I let you. Now you want to leave the village when you were kidnapped a couple months ago?"_

a shameless nod.

 _"Really Yuyake, you don't even know what your kidnapper looks like, he or she could dance right up to you and do what ever he slash she did the first time, and you might not come back,"_ The brown-skinned woman explains. She doesn't even know why she was having this conversation, she's already aware her daughter will go on a head anyway.

The look on her face said it all.

The mother supposed her mini-me had a point. She couldn't just stay in the village for the rest of her life.

 _"Alright, but only cause you're going with the toad sage, and he's a good friend, try not to talk to strangers!"_ and Yuyake shoots to her room to pack. The mother of two turns to her adoptive son,

 _"Naruto!"_

The boy scrambles to stand at attention. He'd been busying himself with a string hanging off his jumpsuit while the telepath 'talked'

 _"For one thing, what did I tell you about fiddling with your clothes? When you're entertained by them it shows how easy you are to impress, and therefore to manipulate. I'll let it slide because we're inside the house, but be mindful,"_ the blonde nods. Yes, he remembered that lesson, but he just thought it was ok _because_ he was in the house.

 _"Also, be sure you watch after your sister," _ She adds and the woman smiles, beckoning him closer so that she made hug and kiss his.

On her way out, the heiress kisses her mother on the cheek, and it brings a soft smile to the woman's lips.

 _"Be Safe!"_

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

They meet up with Jaraiyah after Naruto finishes repacking because he couldn't get his first attempt out his house. They happen upon the Sanin quickly, and Yuyake recognizes him instantly. How could she not with that long spiky hair!

Yuyake freezes in a state of disgust as she points to the legend. The halt in pace stops Naruto as well.

"Huh? Hey, what's wrong Yuyake?" he looks between the long haired girl and the long haired man. "What's wrong? Did Pervy Sage do something?" The nickname is unique, and it alarms the Sanin to their presence. He turns to regard them and meet Naruto's team, and the brown skinned girl he sees trumps up bad memories, but he was already mid-sentence:

"Are you ready to go-aahh!" He freezes in a similar state of fright.

"What?" The oblivious boy's head sways feverishly for explanation,

"What's wrong? I don't get it," but their un-moving forms hint to nothing in particular.'

"Yuyake?... Pervy sage?" But they don't so much as twitch at the mention of their names.

 **~X~**

They are walking now, Yuyake and Jaraiyah on opposite sides of Naruto. The former with a constant grimace spreading her face as she keeps eyes on the sage and the latter whistling random notes as if trying to find the right one to break the awkwardness. Naruto simply stands as a medium in a situation he doesn't understand. The boy stopped wondering what the situation was about, and focused more on the what this training was going to focus on.

"So what's this new Jutsu you're going to teach me, pervy sage?" and it's a perfect segue out the thick atmosphere.

"Knock it off with the pervy sage!" The man runs to the bridge ahead of them to introduce himself with weak choreography that includes head rolling and hoping on one foot.

The children simply walk past his air of idiocy and failure to woo such easily amazed children is depressing to the male. When did he stop being cool to the kids?The truth was that Yuyake had simply been staring off in space while Naruto had actively chose to ignore him.

The the embarrassing displace left behind them, three pass by gorgeous scenery of healthy green, warm earth and clear blues. It sights tingle the girl's heart and relaxes her every nerve. Yuyake looks about and traps herself in her mind. _"Its so calm out here..."_ she takes breaths to liken herself to the serenity.

And it works.

 _RIPPLE!_

Yuyake gasps when pin-thin ripples of white slightly distorted her vision for a second's time.

. . .

What was that?

Only one way to find out. She had to recreate it. Let's see, what caused it?

...

Maybe if she tries relaxing again?

That works too.

The white mingles in her sight, originating from the living creatures around her. While most would be distracted by view, it actually enhanced it. The more Yuyake calmed herself, the more the waves settled to colorful shimmers, dancing over the forest.

These were brainwaves.

Though only the ones of the animals. She had heard that most Bokuso-chi don't need to focus to sense the mind frequencies after they get to a certain level. She supposed this was why.

Oh!

Did this mean she had improved once again? Great! More progress was always great!But she was still underdeveloped, so only brainwaves moving slower than her own popped into her vision. she turned to Naruto and his hair gleams with golden sparkles and pulsed a blast of the same color.

 _"Cool..."_

"Hey! Yuyake! Wait up," Yuyake pauses, and turns to the males with her content expression.

She snaps out of it.

Oh geeze! How hadn't she noticed that the two stopped for a short break when she turned to look their way? Despite her folly, she keeps a content, mellow expression as she stares at their rushing forms, and it is quick that they're back on the path.

All too soon, the rivers, grass, and trees switch to shops, people, and inns; in their jovial spirits, the youngens know not the deadly duo that searches for one of them. They are unaware of their sensei's struggle to preseve one of their lives and almost exchanges his own in the process. It's dark and saddening and an ultimate failure, but the children's oblivion leaves them care free and starry-eyed as they chose their sleeping quarters for the night.

As soon as payment is dealt with, a woman in short, curvy blue appears before and seems to take an interest in one of them. Yuyake's eyes are wide as the boys lose their hormones

 _"Wow, she's pretty"_ The heiress wonders if she can look just as seductive in same the stance. She attempts to mirror the subtle bend of her knee and the innocent decline in her chin. Oh, her lips are slightly parted and her hairs over on one side. Back straight. hands ever so slightly pulled back. There, that should be it, right?

Gosh she wishes she had a mirror to check her accuracy.

"Oh, I suppose it's time for the Adults to play, is that it?" Naruto accuses as Jaraiyah strides a tad too eagerly to the woman. A frustrated boy turns to his female companion and makes a face.

"Yuyake, what are you doing?" The heat that builds in her cheeks is a stamp of failure. Did she really look that stupid? Oh man, would Naruto think of that when ever he looked at her now?

Gosh why did even she try!?

She denies that she did anything, and the two head for their room so one can practice and the other can rest.

Yuyake walking with her hands pressing hair into her ashamed face.

Once in the room, Naruto practices his chakra which Yuyake assumes the pervert told him too. All the while the boy grumbles about having the rug snatched from under him. He beckons clones to aid his training, and Yuyake curls to lay across the laps of a couple Naruto's curved round the bed's leg. They're all warm like the original and don't protest her invasion of their space, they actually act like she's not there, and with how steaming Naruto is, she wouldn't be surprised if they _don't_ know she's there.

The Bokuso-chi stares at the ceiling and her new ability allows her to admire the sporadic pulse of white stars caused by the feral minds of passing finch.

Finally there's a knock on the door and a poof drops the relaxing child onto the flooring.

"Oh he's finally back is he!?" the tanned boy turned to the girl of milk chocolate who was rubbing her head.

"Oh, heheh, sorry Yuya," she gets up and yawns, following Naruto to the door. Her hands rub the accumulating sleep from her lids. While her eyes are closed, the door is opened, and Naruto's planned-rant goes unspoken.

What was wrong?

pulling her lashes apart, the first thing she sees is thick black and red clouds and that alone is enough to make her to bristle. But she sees two, so it can't be-

 _"Itachi!?"_

And some guy with an affliction for blue.

It's quiet and no one moves.

Then Naruto sees his head band be pulled down over his eyes before he's darn near thown onto one of the beds. A door slams shut with squeaky haste and the sound of ready metal is heard.

"Yuyake! Who was that!?" Naruto pulls up his band to looked at the back of the girl in question. Clearly that guy looked like Sasuke! But it wasn't him, he was too tall. Was that the brother?

Yuyake stands with kunai before her, and she looks ready for a show down; if it weren't for the fact she was shaking like wet kitten in the cold.

"Yu...ya?" Naruto gets up. but her mind is busy.

 _"Why is Itachi here? I..I can't take him. And that guy with the blue skin felt scary..."_ her body quakes, but she'll fight for the boy behind her to the death. No matter how quick the battle is...Yuyake's heart attempts to escape its cage of bone, but it's not strong enough. It bangs and bangs against the structure, but it's not strong enough. Her mind distracts her.

 _"What do they want? That pattern is like the masked man's... but when we opened the door it was like they barely noticed me. So... they're after Naruto? If so I need to slow them down,"_ her eyes widen when she notices she failed to lock the door, so she charges for it but jerks back when the wood swings open.

She resumes her stance and the blood of the Uchiha is captivated in the eyes of the man before her. She looks defiantly into his pupils, attempting to convince him she doesn't fall for genjutsu like most Bokuso-chi her age and older.

He seems to believe her. Though now they're in a stand still. The blue swordsman has a smile of shards that doesn't waver and his hand is tight on his sword's handle.

"Why don't I take care of this pip-squeak so we can get on with it?" he offers, but Yuyake finds her throat between Itachi's chest and arm. He tucks it close to the flesh because he remembers she's a biter. The girl struggles but his hold doesn't give in the slightest.

For a moment her anger takes shape in the form of a scowl and her eyes widen before she's limp and there's eyes flash Onyx.

"Interesting" the clan-killer notes.

"Yuyake!" Naruto hops off the bed.

"Naruto, why don't we take a walk," the Uchiha speaks, and Naruto is wary of the hostage situation.

The jinguriki steps into the hall and as soon as he's free of his shelter, the brown-skinned girl is shoved into the room.

The door closes behind her.

"You were awfully protective of that girl, could it be you she reminds you of her sister?" Kisame pokes, curious to get any info he can on his secretive team mate.

"Not at all, if your had touched her, it wouldn't have ended pleasantly." He relays and inside the room Yuyake pulls at the door. She wreaks of frantic thoughts and jittery movements. Why wont the door open!? She yanks on it harder.

 _"Naruto..."_ Presses her ear to the door but only the silent wood is there. She doesn't know what happened that made her limp before, she just knows its over, and she needed to help.

But she couldn't.

She couldn't even gauge what was going on. For all she knew... Naruto was dead...

If she had to guess... she was sealed in here, and it was a sound proof one.

She hits her head on the door and leaves her cranium there to rot.

Why was everything against her? She'd been training super hard, but once she was able to be beside her team, she's taken out the battle easily.

It's frustrating!

And she wants to take it out on the seal that dared deny her freedom, and it happens again. Her strength leaves her, and she crumbles to the ground like her bone structure is nonexistent.

 _"Why?"_ Finally, Jaraiyah opens the door and a jittery blonde rushes from behind him,

"Yuyake! Sasuke's hurt!" he exclaims and his excitement refills her energy as she hops up

" _Where!?"_ but he doesn't have to answer; He's in the hall with Gai sensei. When did he get here? She peels her flesh when she slides on her knees before the Uchiha and the look on his face is devastating. Yuyake places her forehead on his and her sunset eyes close.

. . .

Her head rips away and she shakes it vigorously. It was dark in there, darker than usual. And if there was one thing Sasuke didn't need, it was more darkness. Yuyake takes a breath and her hands glow furtive gold and its visibility is announced with a monotonous hum that's soft like feathers. When the black of the teen's mind returns to its usual dull grey, she releases him and smiles.

She helped!

She gives Gai a thumbs up, and he picks the boy up. Apparent while she was 'enlightening' Sasuke, the men had spoken highly of who they were after, the third Sanin of the slugs, Tsunade. But right now, the girl truly couldn't care less.

Yuyake decides it is best that she return to the village to give the same aid to Kakashi, so when the group splits, she's with Sasuke and Gai. she waves to Naruto and gives him a good-luck peck on the forehead before she heads off.

As his parting gift, the green beasts presents a green body suit identical to the one who the Bokuso-chi liked to call the 'Awesome Lee'. Naruto's grateful, but Yuya snatches the garment and dies it black with water, a bucket, and dye that she gets from...

where _did_ she get those materials from?

She hands it to the boy and points to herself, then her unconscious male counterpart. She nudges Naruto suggestively and the dam withholding his happiness shatters. "We'd be a matching squad!" he vocalizes and Yuya is just as peppy about it as she jumps in place.

Gai isn't as excited about the altercation to his clothing gift.

"You ruined it!" and he trips into a depression over it, but now they really do have to go. Before she's too far, Yuyake remembers her manners and turns to bow to Jaraiyah.

 _"Thank you for releasing that seal on the door,"_ she expresses, and it takes a lot of chakra to match his length, but she figured she wouldn't need it since she'd have someone as strong as Gai at her side. Jaraiyah is surprised but smiles.

"Right, it was no problem," and she turned to leave again. As she's walking, she takes the time to ration out her remaining chakra.

 _"Huh... that's odd... I'm not lacking a significant amount..."_ she notes inwardly.

The toad Sanin stares after her and frowns. _"There was definitely a seal on that door, but it just fell off before I could even touch it..."_ he ponders the oddity, but it is lost to him. Whatever, as long as the child was out and grateful.

Right now, Naruto's training was more important, anyway.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **A/N: THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT-**

 **Sorry it took so long, I had BETA troubles. Also, Yuyake's story will be continuing, BUT it will also be under construction. I'm, going back and dealing with the terrible-ness that is ther first few chapters. So minor details will be added but I wont force anyone to read what ever new info pops up that's important, unless you want.**

 **I'll be announcing important changes in author notes like these.**

 **Than you!**

 **And please comment!**


	19. Truth Circle

**Previously**

The toad Sanin stares after her and frowns. _"There was definitely a seal on that door, but it just fell off before I could even touch it..."_ he ponders the oddity, but it is lost to him. Whatever, as long as the child was out and grateful.

Right now, Naruto's training was more important, anyway.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 19: Truth Circle**

Yuyake had weird morals about personal space that no one else seemed to possess. It seemed very rare that someone curled up against another or something like that, but she doesn't mind. She snuggles up to those that'll bear it and allows them to snuggle back if they wish. Though she supposed it had to do with the lack of trust passing about, and that seems to have only strengthen after the Orochimaru attack.

Man, that snake was trouble...

Still, Yuyake liked to think she was a pretty good judge of character. Mostly because of her abilities. Therefore, she trusted those whose space bubbles she chose to pop. So she doesn't find it odd at all that her forehead is upon Kakashi's as that warming hum filled the room and her chakra coated her in bright gold waves that tumbled off and danced into his ears.

"Uh... do you have to sit like that?" it was Kurinai that asked. Sunset eyes turn from the closed one of her fallen comrade.

While looking at the female, Yuyake couldn't help but think about how the woman was so friggin' pretty. Especially the vibrant red of her eyes and how it contrasts with the dark of her curly hair. The combo reminded Yuyake of an Uchiha.

A good looking Uchiha, not Sasuke.

Kurinai isn't all that good at facial expressions, so she can't tell what Yuyake is trying to say to her. Instead of trying to figure it out, the jonin just continues with her concern.

"Though there's a dramatic age difference, you two are different gender and as such you should be more appropriate." She explains, but Yuyake doesn't understand the problem, the girl is only straddling his waist.

"It's... it's indecent!" the woman points out. Fair point, but still the mute just shrugs. She saw the man beneath her as a father figure, and she certainly did things like this to her father when he was alive. Plus, Kakashi was unconscious.

Long story short, Yuyake didn't see much of a problem.

When the Bokuso-chi's done, she hops off the Jonin's chest, and waves at the kunoichi watching over him. When the Heiress is out of sight, the woman sighs:

"She doesn't seem to know how to be a proper lady of the leaf," She rants, but only the unconscious is about to hear her gripes. It just didn't make sense; how could the girl be so mild mannered? She was the heiress to a clan! Didn't they teach her how to act around men of all ages? While all the boys had a crush on her, Kurinai doesn't remember Yoru being so touchy feel-y.

...

Actually, when Kurinai thinks about it, it was rumored that the female clan leader had trouble with her emotions... Maybe that was why the tree and apple were different?

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

Yuyake strolls down the constructive streets of Konoha, sometimes she forgets how much work needs to be done around the village. She supposed she had no right to complain; she hadn't been helping...

...

Maybe she should?

It isn't like she would be catching up with Naruto, and Sasuke is out of comission. Sakura seems to always be training, which is fun, but not as important, and Shika-shika is probably being just as non-helpful. Giving back to her village sounds admirable, and worthy of her time! Just think about the good it'll do! It gets the small girl pumped up to contribute!

bouncing over to an occupied latter, she knocks on its wood. A man looks down at her, and she points to his hammer and nails.

"What? You want to help?"

A nod.

"Well, I don't really need any of that here, though it sounded like they were struggling around the corner, there," he gestures and Yuyake nods, turning on her toes like a giddy ballerina and walking to the next group of people in need.

This time there's a group of men and women moving large beems of wood from a finished project to an incomplete one. Sunset eyes assess the situation: there were four people and 16 more beams left.

Clearly they could use help!

She reaches for the beam, but it's heavier than she thought, way heavier.

Tug.

Uh-oh...

Tug. Tug!

Yuyake pulls at it with all her might but she only manages to drag it. Maybe she needed to lift from the middle? That way the weight was distributed.

TUG!

That was even worse, at least the first time she could get one end up! She couldn't lift it at all this way... Yuyake looks at her palms as they turn red and pulse with minor pain.

Meanwhile, the group of four has returned to pick up another load, some of them smiling at the struggling child as she tries to help the adults.

A pout forms on the small girl's lips. She didn't like feeling like she was in over her head. She fought a Jinguriki beast! Surely she could handle some lifeless wood!

Then again she did have help with the sand monster...

Oh!

That's what she needed! Help!

A smile curls up on brown lips and it's unnessary mischieveous edge makes the adults worry, even if only a little bit.

Stepping over debris, Yuyake bounds to a secluded area; the excitement she does it with fetches some attentions, her satin black curtain retreating quick from all curious glances. Yuya finds herself a corner, and it's just far enough where the constant clink of hammers and the hiss of saws no longer reach her ears.

The world slides to darkness as she closes her eyes, and she takes a moment to fill her lungs with the sawdust in the air.

It's not the most relaxing scent, but she'll make it work.

Opening her eyes, Yuyake sees those bursts of sparks as she looks around. The kunoichi often wonders how her older relatives remain calm in battle so they can use this perk. Heck, how is _she_ supposed to stay calm in battle?

Focus! This is not why she is here.

Though, honestly, she isn't really sure what it is she's looking for.

She had planned to use her kekkei genkai in order to find some close by people about her age, whether she was friends with them or not, but brain waves don't show a person's age... Sure, Yuyake could look for people with similar frequencies as her own, but she's been warned by her mother that, though she is a little girl, her brainwaves are faster than most her age.

So she was kinda screwed.

The heiress frees herself from the corner's clutches, that was a waste of time. She might as well get back to her- _SLAM!_

Yuyake falls back, and if she's being honest, she flinched- _hard_.

Brown flesh protects brown flesh as her arms and leg shield her head and body; she braces.

"What has you so riled, Bokuso-chi?"

The voice belongs to none other than Neji Hyuuga. He stands with Hinata behind him, partially because she jumped there and partially because he shoved her back . The Mute's reaction had been grandios and unneeded, they had merely bumped into each other.

So why had she freaked out so much?

Apparently she isn't too sure herself, as the startle kunoichi pulls her arms from her defense in order to examen them. She seems to be confused and worried about her own outburst. If the Hyuuga had to guess, the girl was looking for the reason in her mind, searching her memory and decripting her past and current emotions in order to figure out this phenomenon.

"Yeah, are you alright?" Hinata speaks over his shoulder. She knew this girl was Naruto's teammate, and with someone like him, how could she be so jumpy?

It was concerning.

But Hinata's voice is too soft and timid to break the brown-girl's wall of frantic thoughts. And that's even more worrying.

"Bokuso-chi,"

Neji steps up to break the girl's field. Hinata was right, anyone who could deal with that random, loud Naruto everyday should not be acting like this.

Luckily, the male's tone is strong enough to break her barrier.

Yuyake looks up, and the way her lips lightly part is a sign or recognition. Of course she knows who they were, it was part of her status, same way how Neji and Hinata knew who she was.

"What's wrong with you?"

A large grin stretches, and a shrug damns the two Hyuuga to ignorance.

"What do you mean you don't know!"

 **~X~**

Yuyake is surprised when she hears that the two are actually on friendly terms. Though it makes sense, with Hinata being a disowned heiress and Neji being of the lower branch, they had a lot in common, now. Their status barrier was the only thing separating them.

Oh!

The Hyuuga watch as the girl before them starts bouncing from one leg to another while clapping.

What's got her so excited?

"Wh-what is it Yuyake?" Hinata asks, stepping a little closer. Meanwhile Yuyake tries to act like people around her have not devolved into beckoning her wants and desires like she's a pup who wants to go outside. Instead, the black haired girl points to the more busy constructive area.

. . .

What was it she wanted? Neji couldn't figure it out. "Oh, you want us to help you help the village?" Hinata asks. Whoa, she actually could figure out what the girl wanted? Neji had to admit, that was impressive, he hears that grown men and women can't figure her, or other Bokuso-chi, out so easily. Then again Hinata was of higher status, maybe she's taught how to read expressions?

A euphoric nod and synced bounces thrash Yuyake's hair as she takes Hinata's hands and runs for the wood beams. The girl in tow has cheeks lightly red and a smile gently spread upon her lips.

No, Neji was off. Yes, Hinata had been taught to read expressions, but not only by the clan, but by the mute herself. The Hyuuga and Bokuso-chi had had business in the past, it is not impossible that the heads would allow the heiresses to meet.

They were friends.

And if they were such long term friends, then Neji wasn't going to be able to pull the timid Hinata away for training. Though he supposed it wasn't a bad thing, helping the village is good for the clan and the village people.

 **~X~**

Yuyake spends half the day working with Neji and Hinata, and they call it quits later on to spend the other half training in the fields. And this has been her schedule for days.

It had been particularly funny the first time, Neji was far from ready to hear a voice in his head. It threw him off all the time, and Yuyake used it to her advantage. Spouting directions in his cranium while she struck from some where else. Though the boy had caught on quick and used Rotation as his default defense.

Some times the Byakugan duo don't join her and Yuyake attmepts to perfect a move beyond her current skill range.

Eventually, something about Yuya summons Honoo to her side. Oddly enough, he's not drunk, and Yuyake sees then that the male is even more calculative without his booze, which she honestly didn't think was possible. A frown graces his lips, and it makes Yuyake's ribs drop in hurt.

Was he disgusted that she was trying to improve herself?

Frustrated, even?,

No, looking at the male properly, this frown isn't in distaste or frustration.

It's more so fickle.

It catches Yuyake, and she questions him with her countenance.

 _"I... can't help but notice you've had a lot more Chakra lately"_ his brows furrow. _"Like... A lot more"_ he places a hand on his swayed hip.

Now Yuyake frowns.

She's noticed that too, though thought it was just her chakra reserve increasing with her age and prowess. Then again... to more than double in like 3 weeks? That was a bit absurd..

 _CLICK!_

Yuyake felt that 'aha!' moment.

Then she pulls down the front of her shirt and Honoo squints unnecessarily at the marking on her chest.

 _"Oh yeah... who are you in that with again?"_ he'd seen the mark during Chunin exam training, her clothes got ripped. The girl holds up a finger then points to her fanny.

. . .

What? One butt?

...

Oh!

The Wandering Flame nods.

One-tailed jinguriki.

 _"Think it's possible?"_ he ponders, and the girl haults his further inquiry to talk to Gaara.

Does he feel like he's been losing more chakra a lot faster lately? He noticed right after he'd recovered from the fight? but he also had a bit more than usual, right? She thinks that their chakra is now shared between them in a sort of 'first-come, first-serve' arrangement. He agrees...Does he mind that she uses his chakra? If so, she could stop... Oh good, he doesn't. He believes it would be best if they alarm each other when they go on missions? So that the other knows to lessen their chakra usage? Made sense...

The patient cousin watches with pure fascination as the conversation is had before him between the girl on the grass and a boy in an entirely different nation. As deadly as the bond could be, it usually led to a relationship that was sweet, and little do most know, that the assimilation of the mind is overexaggerating. Really it was more so the 'body' was like-minded to the 'mind' but tramatic events led the 'body' to be ruled by a polar opposite mindset. The 'mind' subsequently helps the true mindset resurface... If that makes any sense.

Honoo tilts his head when Yuyake's eyes re-focus.

A nod.

Huh, so now she had the chakra limit of a tailed beast, that couldn't be good...

He grins. It was quite interesting.

Nudging his head towards his favorite training grounds, Yuyake nods. Honoo needed to train her so she wouldn't waste her new reserves so frivilously. As they walk, the legendary Jonin can't help but think about how dangerous this girl would get as she gets older and more experienced.

It was a little scary.

Maybe he ought to calm down on his activity outside the village. Akane mentioned before that the way he flaunted was leading to some unwanted eyes of interest and the one with the most eyes on their back is Yuyake. Of course the heiress is the best bet. She has been introduced and has preformed more jutsu than most her age, so she had the knowledge, and her age is also ripe for the curruption.

If someone were to get their hands on her, it could be fatal, and he didn't want that.

 **~X~**

The next day, Yuya found herself laying lazily in the grass. Gaara had a mission so she was letting their chakra reserves perk up. Meaning it was a no training day, at least not a chakra training one, which is all Honoo seems to focus on.

Akane was more about physical strength, but she was busy.

As Yuyake's thoughts roam, they crawl on a blade of grass in the form a spider, and its bright color makes her worry if it is poisonous.

"Don't worry, it's harmless," Yuyake bristles and jumps away from the talking spider.

Oh, it was only Shino.

Man, She needed to buy him some bells or something.

Once she was again tranquil, the girl waves at the bug lover as he crouches down to observe the arachnid. Yuyake can't help but think it's odd she still can't see the top of Shino's eyes while he's arched over like this. Never the less, she approaches and curves her spine to observe the wonder as well.

Shino is lightly shocked when he feels his spikes of hair be compressed by the pressure of another's head. At the corner of his vision he confirms that the Bokuso-chi has, in fact pressed the top of her cranium to his own.

That's... not... normal.

Most attempted not to touch him, they seemed to worry about getting any of his charming beattles on them. While this isolated him, it didn't bother the boy; it was just a fact.

"It's a rare species of spider that attempts to make itself appear poisonous by copying another type that actually has such a trait, it's similar to the butterflies that disguise itself as monarchs so birds wont eat them. But you can tell by the way the pattern on her rear is that she's just a mimicry," he relays and Yuyake, for lack of a better word, finds his recitement of the facts absolutely adorable. She could just imagine a baby Shino sitting in a corner of stuffed animals with a book about bugs.

Awww...

She gives him her undigressing attention as he walks from plant to plant, from specimen to specimen.

His recitations are flawless and true, tunneling the vision of his female companion. At first he's speaking for his memory, but the longer the girl mirrors his steps and burns his words to a mental CD, the more he speaks for her. His monotonous voice begins to gain pitch, gaining octaves here and losing a couple there. Shino never realized how much he loved sharing his knowledge till he had someone who would let him do so. It was amazing, watching sunset eyes birth curiosity and wonder while brown flesh curled and spread in displays of excitment and awe.

How had he not talked to this girl before?

And that's how the two spend the day: as informant and receiver.

When the sky matches Yuyake's eyes, she's standing in a campestral that's far more lively and rich than it had been prior to Shino's arrival. She is far more careful now not to destroy any of the precious residence of the land, even though it's tedious.

The two sit with the company of critters, and Yuyake appreciates the enlightenment. She sits curled up against the boy, and she can feel his ridget muscles beneath his clothing. She pulls back, was she making him uncomfortable?

"It's fine I'm just, not use to anything like that," the boy relays when he notices her withdraw. In return she reapproaches and is happy when the boy meets her halfway this time in encouragement. They bask in this constant exchange of heat where the toll was acceptance and knowledge. The girl who usualy lost herself above, in the still black ocean of stationary sparks, found her attention gratefully pulled down into the dynamic green sea with moblie jewels she'd always been among but abandoned and took for granted in her ignorance.

Man, Yuyake wanted to repay Shino for ripping up the shroud over her eyes.

...

Oh!

She grabs his hands and pulls him along with. "A-Hey! Where are you taking me?" he asks but only the crickets respond to the inquiry. Shino takes the silence as an opportunity to figure out their destination. So he does.

He looks about but merely sees the same endless field of grass and flora at his feet, and his nostils simply coraborate the findings of his eyes. There are scents of perfumed vegetation about and animals in the distance. Finally, he turns to his ears but the crickets blindfold them with their chirps.

Gosh, where _were_ they going?

It's not for a while that Shino sees that they are nearing the Bokuso-chi compound.

"That's your home" he states, familiar with its grey rooves as part of his studies as an heir.

 **~X~**

Shino sits awkwardly at the table of Yuyake's family, who has darn near kidnapped him.

At the head of the table was the clan leader whom he'd only briefly saw during the Gaara fiasco, but remembers vividly from his files. A woman of curves and status. Though she seems rather absent minded right now. A gentle smile on her lips and giggles erupting every 3 minutes; Shino counted.

Across from him is Yuyake and she just feasts to her heart's desire; if she catches his direct sight, she'd smile wide, then continue. It was kind of weird really. Shino looks down at his own food and pokes at it, allowing his beetles to chew away if needed.

When Yuyake's food is missing. She hops down from her seat and goes to him, pulling him out his chair. "Ahk-, you don't have to yank me everywhere," he insists, but they're already at their stop: her room.

She slides open the door and runs for a dresser, rummaging through its guts.

She's busy, but Shino is taking in her quarters, her hardwood floorings are stained grey and her bed is dressed in warm gold and calm white.

Huh. Her ceiling matches her floor in color...

He's never seen that before.

Her room is actually quite bare. It's mostly empty space, the only breaks being her eight dressers.

Why does she need so many dressers? From what he knows, she always wears the same thing... Though he supposed that, like most heirs and heiresses, she had a butt-ton of clothes for special events and-

Wait a second.

Shino tilts his head when he sees something orange peering out one of the drawers. While the brown haired boy didn't put it pass the girl to wear orange or gold, the cloth's assumed texture and style looked awfully similar to the clothing worn by Naruto Uzumaki.

Why was that here?

 _SHKh!_

A drawer closes and Shino looks forward to see Yuyake approaching him with a small box in her hands. He watches the structure as she opens it to reveal what Shino knows is a very premitive species of beetle incased in amber. Why was she-

She takes it out its casing and confiscates his hand, gently laying it on his flesh. While Yuyake thought it was cool, she was sure Shino would appreciate it more than her. She goes over to what looks like a jewelry box to find something else, but Shino is too busy admiring the piece in his hand to notice how full it was for a girl who wore no jewelry.

He rubs his thumb over it, and the object is surprisingly smooth and circular, he wonders if she got it shaped. Scratch that: she had to; it's too perfectly oval.

While he would have preferred it alive, having this version didn't bother the boy too much.

A gold chain is placed in the creases of his palm as well, and it makes him look up. The girl smiles and attaches the chain to a link on the top of the structure. He was a bit surprised he hadn't noticed it, he was taking in every detail so tediously.

She dangles the links of metal with the now attached pendant and offers to slide it on. Wordless, he tilts his head forward, and she casts the necklace around his scalp and it falls into the depths of his high collar.

Was she really giving him this? He checks her for sincerity. What greets him is her cute little face smiling while her eyes are blinding him, and her hair falls behind her tilted head.

 _TH-THUMP!_

"Thank you..."

 **~X~**

It seems like weeks that it takes Naruto to return with Jaraiyah and the mysterious Tsunadae. She was pretty, but dressed average, like most leaf ninja, so Yuyake doesn't draw her. Instead the girl tackled her missed teammate and crushes his thoat between her joyous arms.

Yuya then decides to follow the blonde woman through the village and hears the villager's wonder and fret about her character. Yuyake cares not, because when Tsunadae heals Sasuke and Kakashi, she becomes one of the mutes favorite people.

The Uchiha is pretty much recovered after his visit, mentally and physically, so he's at liberty to paint the town red. Though, Yuyake thinks its the perfect time for the three, Herself, Sasuke, and Naruto, to finally have their heart to heart. Though it seems hard at first to get them together.

everytime she tries, either Sasuke runs away or Naruto get's distracted. Honestly, Yuyake believes the two may even go as far as not sleeping at her house tonight, an occurance that had become typical since the Gaara thing. Before, Naruto came in every now and again, but now both boys were at her house every night.

It's not till the moon swims in the black sea, and Naruto is prepping for bed that knocks on his window resound.

The boy sways his head, "Huh? Yuya? What are you doing here?" he lets her in and the girl enters, pulling a none-too-happy Uchiha tangled in her arms. The Bokuso-chi is kind of sad Sasuke returned to his blue and tan threads, even though she gave him a hard time for dressing like her.

The dark haired boy releases himself from Yuyake and pins her, holding her arm hostage. The Bokuso-chi is pouty at the change till Sasuke starts adding pressure. Her free hand bangs on the floor for mercy when the pain exceeds her threshold.

"Don't ever drag me like that again," Sasuke lets go, and she turns and praises him for his great grace and patience.

"Hn," was his response and Naruto sees no answers in the display.

"So... why are you here?" Naruto reapplies, and Yuyake turned to the boy.

 _"Truth circle!"_ she announces and in some abstract part of his memory, Naruto remembers her mentioning such a phenomenon.

Sasuke seems to growl at the notion.

"I'm leaving," he states, but when he stands to his feet, he's tackled at the knees.

Yuyake's hair thrashes when she shakes her head.

"Let go, I'm not doing this silly truth whatever you call it, I'm going home and to bed," The Uchiha's onyx eyes narrow.

 _"Please?"_ her sunsets peer back at him with such hope and pure intentions. _"I just, wanna make up for my mistakes and have a team that's so close 'secret' isn't even a word..."_

Sasuke narrows his eyes at her. He really didn't want to, after all, what would he get out of it? But she clearly wanted this...It would take a lot of chakra for her to participate, and that alone shows how important the entire thing is to her.

 _"I want you guys to be able to trust each other and me. I wanna be able to help if something bad happens to you. I don't want to be in the dark, and I'm tired of keeping you guys in the dark,"_ It annoys Sasuke that turning her down at this point would make him seem like the worse person in the world, second only to those that strangle puppies.

"Fine" he begrudgingly sits up and pushes her, "Off, Bokuso-chi" and she loses air when she hits the wood flooring. She crawls over to Naruto's bed and pulls him out by his ankle

"Yuy-ah!" blue eyes round in shock as the cotton beneath him turns to wood.

"Ow..." Naruto's planted face is dragged as the mind-speaker pulls him over to Sasuke so they can make a circle with the knees of their crossed legs.

"Alright then... who should start,"Naruto asks. Yuyake snaps her gaze to the Uchiha who reels back at the nomination.

"Me? This is your idea, you go first," and she deflates a tad because he has a point.

 _"We'll confess or tell about one thing at a time, I'll start, then Sasuke, then Naruto,"_ after spending so much time with them, she finds it easy to pick the common frequency between them so her thoughts hit the boys at the same time.

Her fingers clutch the material of her short body suit. What should she say first? Maybe start off small? Before she speaks, however, they talk. Not about anything important, small matters, like the weather, how their day was, simple things. In the middle of Conversation, they blurt facts out.

 _"Though I'm a Bokuso-chi, I still fall for Genjutsu,"_ she states a weakness. But no one acknowledges it. Instead, Another drawl question about favorite pastries comes up.

Uchiha's next: "I hate my older brother Itachi for killing my family".

What did they eat that day?

Uzumaki: "I have a hard time mastering any jutsu...". Then they happen closer to each other.

Bokuso-chi: _"My dad died 7 years ago and and my mom had an affair with Kakashi when he was alive,"_

Uchiha: "I... Orochimaru bit me in the forest of death and gave me a curse mark that inhibits my chakra usage".

Uzumaki: Having the nine tailed fox means people like Sasuke's brother come after me..."

Closer.

Boku: _"I got knocked out on purpose during the first Zabuza fight.I'm sorry about it, wont happen again"_

Uchi:"I blame myself for you being kidnapped, Bokuso-chi, I wont allow it to happen again,"

Uzu:"I blamed Sasuke for losing you, though I've gotten over it since you returned, it wasn't his fault".

They withhold emotional and facial reactions to the knowledge they're receiving. The way they react could cause one of them to clamp up, and that would ruin it.

Closer.

Boku: _"I realized I was weak and trained to get stronger"_ . Uchiha: "I blame myself for everyone who got hurt during the Orochimaru scheme; it was me he was after," Uzu:"I hate the fact that no one likes me... Everyone has someone they hold the most dear and I'm never it. I'm always 'one of the most dear',"

A pause.

They take a moment as darker things begin to pronounce themselves, and they start back.

This time the words are combusting with the feelings they hold for the vocalized topic. They keep tossing around confessions, facts about themselves, likes, dislikes, hates, loves, memories, feelings. They admit to stalkings, treason, plans for treason, worries, hatred for others, developing flaws, goals, strengths, and more.

Everything they can express into words is compacted into a sentence and verbalized. And when they've racked their brains for everything they can think of, they sit there, panting:

eyes wide with some relief and some regret.

Overall, they feel better, getting out the toxins they've held in their hearts for so long.

With breaths re-steadied and composure back in place, they straigthen their spines and their minds relax. Then, the air fills with words about the subjects spilled. Some comedic to lighten the weight, some assuring the banishment of the darkness, others promising love, and few are left without response because it's best that way.

 _Grrrrah!_

Yuyake blushes at her stomach putting her on the spot like that. What perfect timing...

Her male counterparts look to her growling organ. Sasuske just smirks and shakes his head while Naruto laughs at her self-neglagence. This only reddens the girl's brown cheeks and, in response, she huffs, getting up and heading for Naruto's instant ramen.

"Dah! W-wait Yuya! Don't you wanna eat something else?" The blonde attmepts to dissuade the girl with her nose in the air. A shake of the head kills Naruto on the inside, he didn't have much ramen left! How was he supposed to get by?!

 _RiiiiP!_

Gah!

Was that the sound of a second ramen opening?!

Whirling around, blue eyes find pale fingers responsible for the rip. Unapologetically, Sasuke looks past the flabbergasted boy to find the ebony girl.

"Can you pass the kettle?" Yuyake nods, handing it to the Uchiha while she waits for her ramen to finish preparing.

"Hey who said you could have some, Sasuke!" Naruto would allow the starving Yuyake to steal a cup, but Sasuke?! No way!

He didn't deserve one!

"There's nothing else here, idiot," he reminds. The Uzumaki was going to have to shop today anyway, if he chose to sleep at his house tonight.

Oh no!

All of his precious ramen gone! All because of stupid Sasuke! And mindless Yuyake!

Naruto grabs his very last ramen and tears is open, pouring the last of the hot water into it before breaking appart his chopsticks and rubbing them together.

Yuyake waits for the others to finish their noodle prep before she extends her cup.

...

Naruto is at a lost while Sasuke sighs and taps his cup to hers.

. . .

What?

"We're toasting," Sasuke states and the blonde finally glows in understand.

Naruto taps his foam to theirs.

 _"To Team 7!"_

the blonde grins wide "Yeah! Alright!" Meanwhile, the Uchiha simply hums a short approval with a smirk.

"Oh man... the sun is rising outside..." and it catches all their attention. The sky blushes a warm pink that will soon burn to orange and then blue.

 _"Let's go get a picture"_ Yuyake demands, and it shocks the two males.

"Wha- right now?" Naruto inquires and Yuyake nods, there's always a painter out there some where that is painting the sun's arrival. She downs her food like its hard liquor and rushes for the window. As she leaps out she points up a finger and Sasuke smirks at her mischieve.

"She wants to race," The Uchiha knocks back his broth and hurries after her.

"Uh- what?! Hey no fair! Guys I have to get dressed!" Naruto stumbles out the window and closes it, struggling a leg and arm into a leg of his pants.

"Wait for me!"

 **~X~**

"Annnd... it's done" the painter pulls from his work to grin and turns it towards his models. Naruto finally drops his peace sign and they all release their smiles with a huff of exhaustion. They'd been holding it for hours! It hadn't occured to Yuyake that they'd have to pose for so long.

She rushes over and pulls out her fox shaped wallet to pay for the masterpiece.

"Do you want any copies?" A pause. She turns to her comrades: Naruto has eager fists before his nodding skull while Sasuke has a smirk and a hand on his hip while he gives a shrug. The brown-skinned girl holds up two fingers before reaching for the extra money.

Then her face is shoved into her wallet.

"What are you doing Bokuso-chi? Trying to flaunt your wealth? Naruto!" The Uchiha calls back to the shinobi who rushes forth while the girl besides him throws her arms about in a tantrum, the fox wallet still hanging from her nose.

"U-eehe... guys. I think I left my money at home" the Uzumaki searches the crevuses of his orange clothing to confirm it.

"Tch, Idiot..."

The boys get a smaller version than Yuyake's canvus, which is about her height, but she wanted hers big. She gets home and runs pasts her mom and Kakashi on the couch to her room, and she places it in the center of the wall across from the door. She beams at it for a moment. Yuya's in the middle, clutching one of their arms while Naruto grins, holding a peace sign in the other hand, and Sasuke has his signature smirk and relaxed posture. Man did the Uchiha ever smile?

Well, atleast it looked good.

The panting is just so nice with the sunrise in the background!

Wait.

HER MOM AND KAKASHI!?


	20. Part of the family

**A/N: Yo! Still haven't fixed those early chapters...**

 **Previously**

The boys get a smaller version than Yuyake's canvus, which is about her height, but she wanted hers big. She gets home and runs pasts her mom and Kakashi on the couch to her room, and she places it in the center of the wall across from the door. She beams at it for a moment. Yuya's in the middle, clutching one of their arms while Naruto grins, holding a duce in the other hand, and Sasuke has his signature smirk and relaxed posture. Man did the Uchiha ever smile? Well, it looked good.

The panting is just so nice with the sunrise in the background!

Wait.

HER MOM AND KAKASHI!?

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 20: Part of the family**

 **Months later**.

"Thanks Momma-so-chi! Dinner was great!" Naruto boasts as his reclines into the wood of his chair.

Sasuke is far more nonchalant about the subject: "Yeah, it was great." he speaks. The Uchiha dared not go without complimenting the chef after the first time.

Yuyake giggles at the memory of the stoic boy getting a wooden spoon to the head and a lecture about manners. Then the second time the boy was put on cleaning duty. To avoid a similar fate, Yuyake gives a thumbs up and beams an appreciative smile.

 _"Ooohoho~ Thank you darlings!"_ Yoru smiles, _"You three don't mind taking care of the mess right?"_ and she leaves before the children registar the chore.

"WHAAAT!? But we were super nice and said your cooking was great!" Naruto protests. Sasuke narrows his eyes at the betrayel while Yuyake face-plants into the table.

 _"Sorry dears! Mommy's gotta a lot of clan work to handle tonight. If you do it all nice and well, you three can have some dessert! and..."_ A devious pause. _"Whoever cleans the most dishes gets a bigger portion~"_ The mother bribes... and it works.

 _SHLING!_

A deadly twinkle is shared between the three. They split into three black shadows that dash around the table,snatching up porcelain circles and crystal cylinders before speeding to the kitchen. Once there, the Boku-chiha combo is pinned against each other, speeding through the chore while talking smack.

 _"Might as well give up, Uchiha! Mom likes me best!"_ Yuyake brags, but the snarky comment is belittled by a scoff.

"If that were true then she wouldn't have adopted me!" and they slam their foreheads together as they compete.

On the way to the kitchen, Naruto tripped, but he caught his load. The memory of his punishment last time for breaking a dish was a fire under his butt. The delay leaves no place for him in the kitchen sink, and any attempts to squeeze in gets him booty-bumped or set on fire. He shifts tactics and speeds for the bathroom after stealing needed supplies.

"Darn it! I'm behind!" Naruto takes a step back, "I'll just have to even the odds! Shadow clone jutsu!"

 _POOF!_

 **~X~**

Dishes are done, and the contestants stand before their piles with smiles gleaming like the cleaned glasses.

 _"Hmm..."_ A mother paces the wood floor. _"It looks like the winner is... NARUTO!"_ the victor is presented before his stack that reaches the ceiling.

How did he even get all those dishes? There weren't even that many at dinner!

Still, the blonde stands proud before his work, and in the background, the Boku-chiha scoff, "Tch, whatever,"

"Alright! Believe it! Naruto Uzumaki! I never lose!" he scampers behind the mother with such excitement. Her meals may fluctuate in skill, but her desserts are ALWAYS a delight!

"What is it? What's for dessert?!" Naruto salivates, and Yuyake wonders how he manages not to drench himself in his own saliva and greedy tears.

 _"Tonight's dessert is!"_ The fridge rips open for dramatic affect. _"Honey Kasteru!"_ Yoru reveals the sweet, dazzling Naruto with its simple presentation.

Slices are passed out and Naruto feels duped when his piece is only a smidget bigger than his rivals.

"Hey what gives! I beat them fair and square! Why is my piece the same size as theirs!" He crosses his arms, outraged by the lie.

 _"The competition was meant to be a lesson to the winner. See how the materialistic prize wasn't worth fighting Yuyake and Sasuke over?"_ Brown palms cup the back of the heads of the Uchiha and Bokuso-chi. _"It never will be, so always choose to fight with them, not against,"_ Purple to blue eyes look at Naruto, who is still grumpy about the outcome.

"Yeah I guess... I think You've been hanging out with Kakashi-sensei too much! Speaking of which, I forbid you to see that guy! He's nothing but a perv!" Naruto demands while the wavy haired woman walks over to him and plants a kiss on his tanned forehead.

 _"Eat your food, sweety,"_

When all digestion and cleaning are done, team seven moves to their shared room.

 _" I call dibs on conjoined bathroom!"_ Yuyake 'shouts', and the declaration is followed by a dark skinned girl's quickened steps. defiance personifies itself as a sleek shadow that nips at her heels before pulling ahead of her quick. The betrayal is revealed to be dealt by none other than Sasuke, and he out-stretches his palm and lets her face run into.

And it does, pushing her back to fall on her bum.

Yuyake rubs gently at her smashed nose

Ow.

"Fat chance, you had it last time, it's my turn." Sasuke smirks at the girl as her mind struggles to re-focus her sight.

What a Jerk...

"What! I haven't had it in weeks! Out of the way Sasuke!" Naruto demands.

 _DHH!_

The bathroom door slams shut, leaving an enraged Uzumaki to pound on the wood as he spouts claims of injustice. Yuyake recovers from the stab in the back and snatches her toiletries up.

 _"Fine! I get across the hall!"_ she settles, and she's gone.

"Eh!?" the jinguriki tries to beat her, but he's too slow, and more wood is shoved into his face. "Doh! Come on guys! This isn't fair! I always get the one on the other side of the house!" The blonde reasons, but only the running water answers him.

Lousy jerks!

Naruto gathers his pajamas, undies, and a towel before stomping toward the exit where the nearest facilities resided.

 _" Naruto Uzumaki, if you don't stop stomping..!"_ Yoru warns, lightening Naruto's treds and speeding his pace,

Yuyake returns to the bedroom after Sasuke, bathed and reclothed in light, white pj's. The Uchiha is sitting at the bed's head with a book in his lap. As she crawls onto the duvet, Yuya makes sure to scowl at him till she catches his attention and sticks her tongue out when he acknowledges her. It just makes Sasuke smirk in his condesending way before returning to his pages.

Screw him.

Yuya scoots to sit beside him, and she pulls a pillow into her lab to cuddle it.

 _WHAM!_

Sasuke's book falls to the floor along with his body.

Did Yuyake just hit him with a pillow!? He looks up at her grinning face and that's all the confirmation he needs.

That little..!

He emerges from his limbs and tackles her. He tries at first to get her pillow, but she holds it tight over her head, so he grabs another and beats her with it while she laughs. She fights back and holds her ground till a pillow slams her head into Sasuke's.

"Heh! You should have seen the look on your face!" Naruto exclaims, holding the offending pillow in his hands.

Where did he come from?!

 _"Attack!"_ Yuyake proclaims, and they do, The Boku-chiha take up Naruto's left and right before playing ping pong with his body. The victim tries to go on the defense, but Naruto's pillow can only block one side at a time. In seconds, they demolish his morale.

 _"Ok, ok, let's stop before mommy comes in here,"_ The heiress insists, merely wishing to quit while she's ahead.

 _Flop._

Her and Naruto collapse side by side in the middle of the bed with exhausted smiles and laughter. Sasuke shakes his head at their antics as he reaches over the bed's edge for his forgotten book.

Time creeps by unnoticed.

"So, what are we supposed to do tomorrow? Maybe we can get some training in!" Naruto asks and the mind-speaker shrugs.

Why not?

"We can't, idiots, there's a gathering tomorrow," Sasuke chastises as he thumbs through the thin book in his hand, maybe a ninja manual.

"Oh yeah, Aunt Ai is supposed to be hosting it, right? It's to thank all those that are helping to rebuild the village." Naruto's thoughtful gaze morphs to innocent euphoria, "Hehehe, do you think she'll make her barbeque pork ramen!?" and there's a "Hmph" from Sasuke in return.

Yuyake drops her shoulders again in uncertainty, though she's pretty sure that the woman will. Auntie Ai, and most of the Bokuso-chi, had taken a shine to the blonde's energy and tend to spoil him in order to fuel it. Though the sunset eyed girl remembered how the relative was not too pleased when a lot of people didn't RSVP. Still, there are plans to cook big.

Soon, the large room is teeming with a silence occasionally emptied by the flick of a page. The minds of Yuyake and Naruto are in a cinema in which the films playing are possible scenarios of tomorrow's events.

What foods would be provided? Who all would arrive? What should they wear?

Naruto especially thought about the last question. Momma-so-chi had bought him some new clothes, and he ponders if she anticipates him to wear the clothing to such family gatherings.

. . .

Family.

The word and all it meant is heavy, and it is even more jarring how the boy uses it toward the mutes. His wide eyes turn to the girl of brown skin and his lips part. Whether it's to speak or to further express his awe, he isn't sure, but one thing is for sure: no sound leaves him. The girl in question has her own gaze sealed behind closed lids, leaving her ignorant to his attention.

Naruto had been building his own family bit by bit. He had procured a brother, Sasuke, and a sister, Yuyake, as well as a grandpa, Pervy sage, and a grandma, Tsunade. There were more, of course, but securing each one had been difficult and darn near deadly sometimes. Yet he merely opened up to Yuyake about his insecurities, and she offered him her family in return.

The relatives seem eager to be accepted, and the easy manner in which he is allowed to join is oddly comforting.

He doesn't feel a ting of uncertainty at their motives. Their words and intentions come off so pure and loving, like they've been waiting for Naruto to notice their affection.

"Hey... Yuya?" he speaks and finally her lashes part to grace him with the odd orange to gold color.

She looked like she was on the verge of sleep.

"Thanks, you know, for everything!" the blonde delivers a signature grin, and it's mimicked pleased upturn of browm lips. The onyx orbs of an Uchiha look up at the scene, and the understanding that curls in his gut is cared for in furtive silence.

"We should go to sleep..." Sasuke closes his book and places it on the end table to punctuate his proclamation.

"What!? Already? No way I'm not even tired!" Naruto barks at his comrades as Yuyake worms to the head of the bed.

 _"I was about to say the same thing, Naruto, go on, get up there with Yuyake and Sasuke"_ The over-worked mother enters the room with her demands. There's a groan in protest as Naruto crawls over to the side of the bed closest to the wall. Yoru squirms over and pulls the plush comforter to their necks. She goes from farthest to closest and plants a tender kiss on the craniums of the dissatisfied boy, the jovial girl, and the nonchalant teen.

 _"Good night, I love you,"_ Yoru promises and the words follow the three to their dreams. Just before she's off on her adventure, Yuyake can't help but dabble on how her queen sized bed is the perfect size for the three of them.

 **~X~**

 _"Come on, now! We'll be late!"_ Yoru perfects the tie around her waist. She was wearing an extra layer of robes than usual and a more eye-catching obi. Yuyake is by her side properly draped in her whites and golds with hair done up just right in two braided buns with ribbons of gold draping from each.

A sigh.

Yuyake hated dressing like this. Her formal clothes made little room for combat and are heavy with wide tomata sleeves and thick, three layered waist piece. She also felt her hair looked stupid this way.

Meanwhile Sasuke comes from around the corner as he tries to remeber the last time he was dolled up in the clothes of a clan official.

 _" Sasuke hun, chin up! You have to radiate confidence,"_ his adoptive mother, though he'd never call her that, guides his head with a well-placed fan. Naruto is the last to join the group and his appearance makes the mother palm her face. _"Ru-ru dear, you can't wear that."_ Yoru inwardly sighs when the boy is in his day to day ninja gear.

"I know but... I couldn't figure out the ties or the order I put it all on! Which one's first?" he comes clean about his ignorance and the rest of the family in the room sigh at his time-wasting tendencies. it's the pale palm of Sasuke that squeezes the bridge of his nose then grabs Naruto's head, pulling him into the other room:

"I'll take care of it," the Uchiha assures, and the girls are left waiting another ten minutes.

Finally, Sasuke reenters their vision, oozing elegance and status, followed by Naruto dressed in his formal orange attire. The blonde quietly tries to mimick the brilliance his brother exudes, but it's harder than he thought. As a last resort, Naruto tries to remember what his Bokuso-chi mom taught him just yesterday.

Let's see, chin up. Gaze relaxed, shoulders back, but not too far, and chest out.

Gosh he hoped he didn't stand out next to his radiant family.

 _"You all look so beautiful! Now, let's go,"_

 **~X~**

 _"We're here!"_ Yoru proclaims to a rather tiny group. Sure, all of the large clan is there, but barely anyone else. _"Oh no, we didn't miss it, did we?"_ The clan leader asks, dreading the answer.

 _"No, no. It's just getting started,"_ Ai Bokuso-chi smiles at them. _" Oh! What's this in my hand? A large bowl of Barbecue pork ramen!?"_ the woman delights in the sheen that Naruto's eyes gain as he dashes forward for the delicacy.

It's adorable.

Only it isn't.

Yuyake watches her great cousin play keep away with Naruto in what seems like a fun little game. But she knows the woman. Aunt Ai likes to watch Naruto enjoy her cooking, she wouldn't just keep him at bay for the fun of it.

What was she up to?

Yuyake looks around, maybe there's a big ol' surprise that the family is trying to keep behind his back?

"No,"

The ebony girl jumps as she turns to Sasuke. No what?

"It's not a surprise, look," the boy points a digit and sunset eyes follow its direction to the villagers that are present.

 **Hate!**

It's thick and thinly veiled on the faces of the adults and children alike, all those who knew not Naruto scowled with such anger and resentment. And it's contagious.

Yuyake looks to Sasuke, and his eyes are narrowed and nose wrinkled at the stinch they exude, like it's all meant for him. It makes Yuyake's gut knot up and flip in outrage, and it only gets worse as she makes her way over to them.

What the heck was wrong with them!?

 _STEP!_

Who were they to look at Naruto like this? To Subject him to this?

 _STEP! STEP!_

He hadn't done anything! Yet they're curled up together like the sheep they are.

 _ **CRUNCH**_ _!_

The evil attention shifts to her as a branch dies beneath her foot.

Silence...

 _"Leave"_

She connects with each one individually and stares them in the eyes as the word reaches them. They jolt like she's mad, and they're confused as to why they were the ones being dismissed.

 _"Get. Out. Of. Here."_ she keeps her patients because she was always taught to do so when she's dressed like this.

They frown at her, and it only upsets the kunoichi more that they're scowls don't hold a fraction of the hatred laced in their earlier stares.

 **. . .** _ **!**_

It's low.

A damning hum that fills the ears of all present as Yuyake's Chakra begins to make itself visible. She doesn't know what she's going to do, but it it's not going to be pleasent.

Suddently, a hand startles the girl, knocking her glow out of existence and leaving her with merely her sour look. She looks down at the limb denying her further advancement, then up at it's owner, Shikamaru.

"Your Chakra almost drew Naruto's attention, which would have ruined the point," he looks at her. "Besides, it's best to let the adults handle it," the Nara points to the Bokuso-chi who were going around the herd of sheep and disbanding them.

Huh, she got riled up for nothing.

The thought of it makes her blush a tad, and she grabs Shika's arm and shoves it to his side.

"Hey, don't take it out on me cause you have anger issues," he smirks and places a hand on the girl's head. Yuyake sticks out her tongue at him. Yeah yeah, she got it: she blew it a bit out of proportion. He didn't have to go and make her seem like some tantruming child that needed to be calmed.

"Can't say I didn't see that coming," Shino steps forward to make his presence known, and Yuyake beams bright at his existence. She was hoping the epic bug lover would make an appearance, but she couldn't be sure.

"And I am here as well!" Yuyake's large eyes double in size at the voice as she whips around.

Was that?

Whoa! it really was Lee!

black hair chases the heiress as she goes to oggle at the youthful Taijutsu master. Man, she hadn't seen him in a while, and to see him on his feet? Awesome! Even if he was on crutches.

"I have not seen you in a while, Yuyake, you look great!" Lee bestows the giddy Yuyake with a thumbs-up of approval.

"He's right, you do look nice," Sunset eyes whip around to the speaker. Whoa, Neji was here too? Even more Awesome! She walks over to her spar partner and claps, too excited to keep all her energy inside, but constricted by her status to not act so silly while in her garbs.

The girl's gaze turns quizzical as she watches the Hyuuga, and she dips her head around his form, looking for something. "Hinata? She's over there with Naruto," the long haired boy guesses her intentions.

Yuyake turns to catch sight of her favorite couple since she was young: Naruto and Hinata, but the Uzumaki merges with the group before she can; though, Hinata is still by his side.

Awww!

"Man, that was good! Aunt Ai sure knows how to make 'em!" Naruto pats a satiated gut, he stands next to Sasuke who Yuyake hadn't noticed joined in the gathering of friends.

Slowly, the mute kunoichi turns in a circle, her heart bursting with more and more love and comraderie as she looks at each set of eyes.

When did she get so many awesome friends?

Why did she get so many awesome friends?

Yuyake didn't think she deserved such people.

Because she didn't.

Farther off to the side, Ino, Sakura, choji and Kiba were standing, watching the dolled up Yuyake be encased with her close allies.

All of her male friends.

"I don't get it, How does she keep all their attention? I mean, I'm standing right here! Even Sasuke's captivated!" Ino sighs, resting her chin on the back of her hand. "I bet it's the eyes. I mean, _I'd_ be that popular if _I_ had eyes like that," She furrowed her brows. Sakura rolls her eyes at the blonde's conceit.

Ino would never change...

"Honestly, I don't think it's her eyes at all," Sakura disagreed. Her own eyes were a rich shade of emerald, and quite vibrant, but you don't see boys talking to her like that.

Well.. except Lee... And Naruto.

"Oh yeah? And what do you think it is, buildboard brow?" the Yamanaka baited and the vain that buldges on Sakura's forehead is exactly what she was looking for.

Ha! She's so easy to bait.

"Well, maybe it's her height, boys don't love giants like you, Ino-pig!" If Ino55 wanted to go, Sakura would give her some go!

Kiba chimed in, a sigh on his lips and Akamaru on his head. "If you two are going to be like this the whole time, Akamaru and I will find something else to do,"

 _BARK!_

"I'll come with you!" Choji offered. Anywhere away from such complicated girls, was somewhere he wanted to be.

"Well here, we'll settle it then," Ino said, knocking some disobedient strands out her face. "You two are boys, what do _you_ see in her?" she inquires, clearly, only the boys knew what they saw in girls.

Kiba shugged, "I don't really see anything in her," he states.

"Well, what about you, Choji?"

The mentioned boy chomps another chip, "I hear her mom's a good cook!"

Ino sighed, "Hopeless! See," she turned to her ex-best friend. "They can't figure it out, so it has to be something beyond the stupidity of a boy's brain! Like the way her eyes burn into theirs,"

Sakrua made a face. That didn't make any sense; whether or not someone likes another person's eyes is a very surface level thing and requires little to know brain power to recognize. "That doesn't make sense! If it's comeplex, it would be something like her short height!"

"A-actually, you're b-both wrong,"

A new voice entered the conversation. Was that? They all turned to confirm it; it was! That was Hinata chiming in after parting from the main group. The timid child moved to stand next to the quarrelling girls.

Oh no! They were staring at her!

Hinata retreats further into her hoodie. She would just give them the reason, then she'd leave; she could do this!

"I-it's a-actually a bit silly." she starts. "Yuya hates to admit, but always, even when we were young, she's always acted a lot like... like a happy pup," she gives a small smile. "She understands without talking, and she cheers you up with her happiness; Everytime she tries to talk to someone, it ends up similar to how you would try and figure out what your pet would want." Hinata pressed her index fingers together, "And people always do prefer animals over people; so to have someone who acts like a pet, but is a human attracts people; y-you'd like her too if you met her, I-Ino,"

. . .

Silence...

"WHAAAA!?"

The two teens couldn't believe it! No way that was the answer! Boys attracted to girls who acted like puppies? That was stupid! And indecent! To say a girl has to act like an animal to get a male's attention.

"N-no, that's not what I'm saying a-at all! Her puppy-like tendencies attract them, but her p-personality and looks keep them around!" The Ex-heiress tried to correct her wording.

But the damage was done.

"What? A girl who acts like a pup? Count me in!" Kiba descended from their stance upon a shady hill. He had to see that. Girls are so complex, but puppies? Puppies he could deal with no problem!

"Hey, wait for me Kiba!" Choji followed suit, taking his bag and company with him as well as Ino and Sakura's faith in men.

What just happened?

 **~X~**

 _"Wing or drum stick?"_ Shikamaru jumps when the offer suddenly entering his head. He'd been lazily lying beneath a willow tree to aviod the annoyance of the sun and maybe catch a nap. He cranes his neck to acknowledge the Bokuso-chi's leader as she presents a plate of edibles.

"Yeah thanks," he reaches absent-mindedly for something and his gaze his stuck on the mother of one of his closer friends. Man she was pretty... With someone like her around, he wandered how girls like Sakura and Ino could starve themselves to tooth picks. The woman beside him was clearly popular with the male gender, if his dad's stories were anything to go off of, and she was no stick...

Eh, why did he even try to understand girls? They're such a drag.

Yoru looks over to whom she affectionately calls, 'Uchi-son' his raven hair is done in it's usual spiked back due, and he looks so cute and adorable in his formal clan attire! The girls seem to notice how handsome and official he's dressed, and he's crowded by them. It makes the mother raise a brow. That Sakura girl makes him act different. . . It's subtle, but Sasuke's back is straighter and his eyes are sharper around her. Could it be...?

. . .

No... not her boy.

Yuyake loves this.

It had been a while since the truth circle and ever since, her bond with Naruto and Sasuke had been getting even better! After the gut-spilling conversation, the girl felt bad for feeling overwhelmed lately. She had a family that could support her and train her and love her. Her friends had no one. Sure, they had a couple people that managed to break their barriers, but no one that could attempt to really be their family. Quickly she realizes how selfish she'd been. Why didn't she just share her family with them? So she did. The boys come over one day and she spent it taking them through the compound and introducing them to family. The two were awkward at first, mainly Sasuke, but they sink into the members like a knife in warm butter.

Her mom had already taken to Naruto like a son since Yuyake brought him over all the time. And the girl isn't sure when it happened, but her mom and Sasuke had developed a relationship and it all led to them becoming more and more like siblings in the eyes of all involved. Sasuke and Naruto spend the night just about all the time! So the two had gotten aquainted with the clan of mutes who seem far more jovial and open since the lifting of the order.

Things seem to be looking up!

 **~X~**

"What? You're leaving!? But who will cook us foood?" Naruto sinks into the plush white of the couch as his adoptive mother scurries about to get dress for her mission.

" _Sweety, don't whine. It's unbecoming. I'll only be gone a few days. The village is taking longer to repair than initially estimated ,and it's caused our forces to be improperly distributed,"_ Yoru explains as she yanks her hair into a thick pony tail. Yuyake is astonished to watch her mother dress. She can't remember the last time she saw the woman in ninja gear. Yet here she was, in her tight blacks and draping jacket of lavender. The woman takes a scarf of white and flings it around her neck till her lower face is covered.

Where's her leaf pride?

Sasuke half-heartedly scans her attire for her leaf village symbol and notices the scarf _is_ her head band just as she rushes for the door.

Behind the wood is Kakashi who is trained on her. "Ready to go?" the jonin asks.

A nod.

"Be careful," the phrase interrupts them... All turn to the quiet Uchiha in a corner. That was him that spoke?

Purple to blue eyes pause a moment.

Yoru has accepted Sasuke and Naruto as her own and she knew they accepted her, though Sasuke always withheld himself from her to some degree. To hear his worry verbalized, and in front of others, tugged at her. She pulls down her scarf to kiss her index and middle finger before she displays the digits to them.

 _"I'll come back, I promise"_ and she's gone.

"Hmmm... Seriously, what are we suppose to do about food!?" Naruto reapplies, and Yuyake sighs at his hopeless nature.

"You _do_ remember that you still have a house, right?" Sasuke is genuinely curious of the boy's answer and he's rewarded with a hum in thought. Wow... sometimes the boy's stupidity amazed him...

A couple days pass and the three spend it training hard for their next mission, when ever it will be, but one of them has progressed at a frightening rate.

Yuyake notices it when they do hand to hand combat, and she noticed someone else's flaws during the Chakra portion as well.

So, later on, the Bokuso-chi drags the Uchiha out of bed in the dead of night, and he's not too happy about it. "What is it Yuyake?" he questions. If she was doing this, it had better be for a good reason.

 _"Naruto is stronger than us,"_ she pushes the truth into his face, and the proclamation burns the boy with its validity. No, there was no way that idiot was stronger than him! That could never happen! Never! He falls into a pit of denial, and his descent is quick, but a tingle in his cheek pulls him out his darkening thoughts and to Yuyake before him.

He can tell by the look on her face that she wants him to calm down and accept it. Her eyes also say that she believes accepting it will help him find a solution and help him continue forth.

 _"To know your limits is to already be beyond them,"_ the girl quotes and she's not sure of the origin, she just read it somewhere before and thought it powerful.

She sees the darkness in his gaze and it squeezes her heart. He was thinking about leaving the village again. . . He had confessed to thinking it during the session and it went unaddressed because it was better that way for then.

Now was the time to address it.

She nudges her head and he follows her in a barely contained rage. He is led to a training ground he didn't even know existed and it's far from any others. If he had to guess, it's probably under-used because of its remote location and inconvient placing.

A moment is spent taking in their surrounds, but only a moment, they want to simulate a real battle.

A long dive into each other's eyes, and they know.

They know what they plan to do here, even without speaking. They will attack each other, visciously, and critique every joint that needs to be straightened and every nano-second that is improperly used. They will get stronger, they will _not_ leave Naruto to do the heavy lifting. They will _not_ let their team be unbalanced and thrown off; instead, it will be even, they will be a force to be reckoned with alone, and a force akin to a deity together. Their strength and growth will be frightening, and when asked about it, they'll merely laugh at the low expectations of others.

So they clash.

They clash hard and fast with no restrictions of comraderie or fear of killing. Blood is drawn, bones are bruised, and flesh is torn. Lightning cracks and gold howls. Each fall is painful and each blow has intent. They shout at each other the faults they make and corrections are quickly applied.

From afar, a legendary shinobi takes watch as he drowns himself in sake. He's hidden as he peeps and can't help but find the two absoultely bonkers. Though he does noticed them grow stronger with every blow.

It's a wonder that neither is dead when the sun awakens.

Their body's are broken, but their minds have never been so defiant. Sasuke thought the method of training to be crazy and deadly, but he had been angry and irrational.

Mostly cause of what she said.

She dared place the blonde in their team above him and while she may be right, he wanted to get her back and prove her wrong. Only he didn't. His first few attacks were out of rage and in an attempt to validate his strength, but the girl points out so many flaws, and it's frustrating, but when he corrects, it's baffling how much more effective he is just after one session. When he dances with wires she orders him to channel his chidori through them. He slings a kick and she reminds him that his strength isn't enough against a real enemy and that all of his weight should be behind each blow.

When he's cooled and grateful, he begins pointing out how her backwards strikes should stab like a snake in areas that are vital, and how suddenly shifting weight will better disguise her kicks and catch her enemy by surprise.

The two stare each other down and they can no longer continue right now. They're tired, low on chakra, and badly beaten. It's almost worrying when Yuyake's bloody mouth beams a pleased smile.

They were totally doing this again!

The two tumble over themselves to get to each other and fall against one another to strengthen their stances. Yuyake takes the boy back to her home and into the tiny infirmary room that is within the mansion. It confuses the Uchiha why the room for healing is bathed totally in red light.

Once on beds, Yuya uses chakra she saved to heal their wounds as best she can. They still need bandages, but they're patched up and flop into the bed with Naruto who was lying in the middle of it.

That day they sleep in.

 **~X~**

"A new mission? Where's Kakashi sensei?" Naruto asks Tsunade who is sitting before him. If she was going to brief them, she might as well wait for the rest of the team to show up.

"He and Yoru are still out on their assignment, you're doing this solo," The hokage informs and Yuyake and Sasuke wonder how Naruto forgot when he complains every night that they have to find something to eat. Apparently, they have to go and escort some runner for a family that's waring with another over who runs the village they reside wasn't quite sure how it worked, apparently they own casinos but were also competing over who ran the entire village?

She didn't know, all she knew was that she had to protect a guy...

So they were off!

Though not for too long because Naruto skipped breakfast. "Man, I'm starving! Aren't you hungry Yuya?" he turns to the girl. Just as she acknowledges him, he continues, "You're hungry to? great! Oh, what a coincidence! there's a tea house right there!" and he shoots off. Yuya doesn't look too happy at her silence being taken advantage of, and she is beginning to think that she has spared him from her signature chomps for too long.

The inside of the shop is quiet and empty, though the rows of tables make the sunset eyed girl think that this place was once teeming with life, money, and stories. The waitress is a kind old lady and the kunoichi wonders if she was here in the place's hay-day and if she had the looks to get the big boys to tip heavy.

Naruto requests a red bean bun and Sasuke requests simple tea. Yuya orders strawberry type cake because she has a sweet tooth. They're tranquil and content, until some guy decides to make his distaste for them known and the telepath wonders why people do things like that.

 _"Why do people feel a need to say 'I hate you'? The receiving person usually doesn't care anymore after the proclamation than they did prior to. Really it's a waste of breath..."_ she deadpans, but Naruto seems to care. So maybe she was wrong...

The boy seems to always care...

Yuya herself found that she bounced between caring too much and caring too little. She wondered why that was... _"Maybe I'm too mind strong? Perhaps my knowlegde and faith in mentality causes me to try and understand emotions and therefore leads me to always improperly apply them. Basically, in trying to understand what I can't, I attempt to control something I don't know how to apply and apply it wrong."_ she evaluates herself.

"Oh! Hey there cutie, I didn't see you there, tell me, have you been giving any thought to our future?" the guy is speaking to her and the oddity of the question causes her to lift a brow. She nods, cause she had. She had thought about how eventually he or she would leave, and they would never see each other again.

"That's interesting, tell me, how does it plan out? Do you leave this pathetic ninja life behind and become my-" she cuts him off with a shake of the head and points to the door.

"Oh, so we leave now and run away together?" and she inwardly sighs and tries to block him from her view with a hand. Jeeze, she's never been hit on before, and boy, was it awkward. How did her mom live with it? She turns to Sasuke with a plea in her gaze, but he seems to be enjoying her uncomfortable situation. Naruto, on the other hand, is barking up a storm but withholds his bite.

Finally the intruding boy claims his flirtacious words to be an act, and Yuyake is glad about it. She watches the boy leave but his departure is sudden and quick to the boys at her table. She understands why, the guy was very fast, she almost couldn't sense his brain frequency anymore.

Then it turns out he left them to pay his bill.

Wow... that guy is really douche-y... They pay, and Naruto decides it's a great idea to follow the stranger.

"He's already far off," Sasuke remarks and Yuyake nods. Though the blue-eyed boy is steadfast and they're chasing him.

But only for a second.

Yuyake tackled Naruto and frowned at his ways before she mentions that it's possible that the guy could be leading them to a trap. Naruto is begrudging in letting it slide, but he does. With the rationale in place, they return on route to their client.

And it turns out the jerk they ran into is the runner they have to protect.

Great...

 **A/N:You should totally commet *nudges with both elbows***


	21. No Progress

**I Still haven't dealt with the early chappies... I'lll get to it eventually .+**

* * *

 **Previously**

Wow... that guy is really douche-y... They pay, and Naruto decides it's a great idea to follow the stranger. "He's already far off," Sasuke remarks and Yuyake nods. Though the blue-eyed boy is steadfast and they're chasing him. But only for a second.

Yuyake tackles Naruto and frowns at his ways before she mentions that it's possible that he could be leading them to a trap. Naruto is begrudging in letting it slide, but he does. With the rationale in place, they return on route to their client.

And it turns out the jerk they ran into is the runner they have to protect.

Great...

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 21: No progress**

This wasn't good...

The mission was finished relatively quick. It had been simple: they came, they jacked up some ninja, and they taught a guy not to be so douche-y, to himself and others. But Sasuke's pride had taken a serious blow during it all. He'd been deemed a disgrace to the dead relatives that he tries so hard to appease.

The dishonor was only further solidified by his failure to defeat the bastard who spoke such lies.

But Naruto did.

The knuckle head of their group who couldn't think of much else than food and girls. Sure, Naruto was the strongest in their group, Sasuke had... Yuyake had said that, but why?! Sasuke trained too, heck, he's been doing it longer than Naruto has!

It just wasn't fair.

 _ **"You don't have enough hate. And you know something? You never will,"**_

Guh! This was so frustrating!

Sasuke's life had been mundane during the time right after academy . He was the star player of his selected group with an idiot and a self-centered jerk on his team. Then, there was a drop when Yuyake was kidnapped, but he rose when he got his Sharingan! It was a bit rocky during the first and second tests of the Chunnin exams.

But the final one.

Directly before and during the final exam had been amazing. Sasuke improved in skill by leaps and bounds during that month. People were interested in him and found him powerful, found his clan powerful! Then he arrived and shut down a monster that had devoured so many with such ease! People were impressed! Astonished! They would remember him! They would remember the Uchiha!

Then Naruto got stronger. Heck! The boy didn't just grow stronger, he _flew_ pass Sasuke like the blond had been hiding the strength, and was just waiting to show it off. Then there was the mute. She pisses Sasuke off as much as Naruto. She could down play herself all she wanted, but she was definitely stronger than the Uchiha, at the very least...

No! Sasuke had to be strong! He just had to! He couldn't let his parent's legacy be a powerful traitor and a weakling... They needed something to smile down upon and believe in, they needed hope! He had to be unbelieveably powerful to do that! Strong enough to take down his brother because he needed to show that a crooked Uchiha was not stronger than one who was loyal and brave...

Sasuke had to reestablish his strength.

Yuyake's expression was shocked beyond proportions. Had Sasuke just demand that she and Naruto fight him? What the heck was wrong with him!? He's in the hospital! He doesn't have Naruto's healing factor or her ability to heal. They should at least wait till he's discharged!

"I want to fight you too," what!? Yuyake jumped back with a look of disgust aimed at the blond. Did Naruto just accept? What had gotten into _him_? In the background are the worried shrills of a pink haired girl, but it's white noise in the higher plain the original team seven exists on.

"Well? Are you joining too, _**Bokuso-chi**_?" the Uchiha baits but there are no bites. Yuyake felt her nose scrunch up. The way he spoke her name... It was like he was **belittling** her. He never had that tone before...

Her head thrashes in denial. Like hell she was going to fight her own injured teammate, just because he was having some hissy fit.

Boy, was it tempting though.

"Hmph, I should have expected as much, follow me," Sasuke directs his attention to Naruto and the group ascends to the roof.

Waiting for them are ghostly sheets on string that offer cover and opportunity in battle. Sasuke is asked to put on his headband but refuses, and this only further proves to the mute kunoichi that the Uchiha is doing this for personal validity.

Why though?

Can't he see that Naruto is only strong because of the Uchiha and herself? That she was a better person because of them? Sure the blonde was driven to make others think better of him, but it's clear that such a goal didn't have enough strength considering his lack of success in academy.

No, it was not until the three were placed together on a team that the fox holder found people no doubt better then him, and it drove him to become an equal! He reached to be as strong as Sasuke and as good a person, if not better, than Yuyake, and the boy believed he'd done it! Naruto was certain he'd made enough friends to amount to Yuyake's endless loyalty and love and he'd become strong enough to be as good if not better than Sasuke!

He just needed them to confirm it. That's all he needed, he wanted his closest role models to look at him and say 'Wow, you're amazing Naruto,' was that so much to ask?

This fight had to happen.

And it did.

They rush forward, and Yuyake watches with horror. This was no spar. No, the two weren't crashing together and retreating with new ties of camaraderie and respect. Their blows were not full of furtive love or brotherly rivalry or unspoken apologies. Instead they tear at each other, ripping away pieces of the other's hard work in an attempt to deem their own supreme. They usurp the love they once poured into each other, and they strike in desperation. One desperate to please the dead and one desperate for the respect of his brotherly figure.

And it sickens the heiress.

Yuyake holds herself back as long as possible, with her hands placed cerimonially on the shoulders of the weeping girl beside her. She just sits there and watches.

To Yuyake's left, the girl in tears feels bandaged digits indent her skin. It was minute at first, but it grows painful, and it squeezes the salty liquid from her eyes. Sakura turns to the female harming her and the look on her face is enraged and twisted, aimed at Sasuke as he glares at Naruto

"Yuyake?" Sakura attempts to beckon the ebony girl out of her infuriated trance, but she's too deep.

Then it happens.

They conglamerate their power in their palms and it's an amalgamation of hate and rage. And they throw it at each other.

That was it.

 _TING!_

The boys find a body between them, a seragate for their emotions. She deflects most of their attack with solidified brainwaves of golden chakra, but only most of it. What's left is enough to singe her hairs and melt her flesh on one side while her other side is warped by harshly spinning winds. Their misguided anger devours the bandages and the short sleeves on her arms. Around her, the brothers gain shocked expressions, but they cannot take the deed back.

Her chakra is drained fast in the deflection, but it's enough to satiate the thousand birds. It's too late when she realized she can't do the same for the Rasangan and the injured girl abandons her attempt in favor for tackling the Uchiha to safety.

Concrete cracks from the sheer power of Naruto, and it's boom snuffs out the sounds in the air.

. . .

 _DRIP! DRIP!_

Yuyake flings herself from on top of Sasuke to stand a distance away, but her legs drop her to the ground.

"Yuyake!" the voices that call her are thick with testosterone and regret. Naruto and Sasuke stand before her dipped head, and they survey the damage that their follies have created. Her form rises and falls with laborious pants that break her silence; she's holding the arm that swallowed Naruto's attack, and it's bending the wrong way while blood crawls from flesh that peeled when she dragged Sasuke to the ground.

"Yuya, we-" they approach, but she snatches back, her head flings upward and the bandages on her face have been eaten as well, giving them an unadultered view of the look of disgust she wears.

And they flinch.

As they should. The glare has the same distaste she holds for Orochimaru, the same anguish she has for the masked man, and the same distain she gets everytime she looks in the mirror. How could they!? How could they fall to the level they rose _her_ from?! Had the dispicable mannerism been infectious? Did they not see what it drove her to? Did they not understand how much it degraded one's heart and integrity? She hated herself for what she did to them back at the bridge sight! Is that how they wanted to be?

Was it!?

She knows it's not. So she stands there and digs into them with her firey eyes, her tears doing little to satiate the flames. She stares with the same looks they'll recieve all their lives if they continue down this path. Yeah, her arms hurt like a bitch, but not as much as what they had done to her, what they were going to do to each other!

She does not hide her pain. Instead she showcases it with a caption that reads 'Look! The first time I'm terribly injured in battle is by my teammates,'.

There was no one with a kunai to their throats. Nor a genjutsu in their minds; they had, without any help, volunteered to _murder_ each other, and if it hadn't been for Gaara, she would be dead.

The boys feel their faults constrict their throats, which is good, they don't know what they would say anyway.

"What is wrong with the three of you!" their adoptive father appears.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura punctuates, and she's rubbing her back as she pulls from the hard metal of the door she's against.

Had Yuyake thrown her back when she made her move?

"That was an awfully powerful jutsu for a simple spar. Were you two trying to kill each other?" Kakashi barks, and the boys make eye contact only to snap away with childish huffs. "And You, Yuyake, almost got _yourself_ killed. You three need to think things through before you act!" and so their lecture began.

It's Sasuke who leaves first, not strong enough to apologize but ashamed nonetheless. Naruto parts soon as well without any words, and its just the heiress and pink-haired girl who remain. Kakashi watches Yuyake melt the ground with her hard gaze.

She really didn't care about her injury, did she?

"Come on, let's get you to lady Tsunade, she'll heal you up, no problem," the Haruno assures as she leads the black haired girl back into the building.

. . .

There's a moment Kakashi spends rueing the day the team was formed; then there's another moment as his fears create possible preminissions of his children's went wrong?Their rivalry had seemed harmless enough before; it lit a fire under their butts and brightened their paths to success. But now it's turned ugly, muddy with vengence, self-righteousness, and irregards for one's self.

This could not go on.

"We'll need to talk to them," Kakashi speaks to his shadow which houses a Sannin and a village-less shinobi. They speak about the idiocy in teaching the youth such strength. Then, it's brought up the hazardous nature of the girl, and how it may lead to her own downfall. The talk is short, but mutual, and they split to converge on their intended targets.

 **~X~**

Yuyake rolls her shoulder to test its flexibility. Wow, it was good as new. She gives a bright grin to the blond kunoichi of slugs as her thanks, and Tsunadae can't help but return the favor.

"You're welcome, now it may feel as good as new, but avoid any physical strain, like lifting, for a few days, alright?" the doctor orders and a nod is received in return. "Good, now I have more boring paperwork to attend to, you're free to leave the hospital." and the Hokage takes her leave.

Yuyake takes a moment to lounge around. She feels Gaara crawl into their conscious. He wanted to know why they lost so much Chakra just now if she didn't mention a mission or training. It was because of sibling rivalry. And she leaves it at that because she doesn't feel like explaining, but she doesn't have to. The red-haired boy dives into her memories and within them he finds her definition of 'sibling rivalry'. Ah. He understood. She needed to be more careful. Unfortunately, He can't stay long; he had work to return to,and he 'leaves' with the intentions of coming back that night.

"So, what do you want to do now Yuyu?" Sakura places a brave front before her, but it's as transparent as glass.

 _"Sorry, but I'll have to break up the girls' night out,"_ and Sakura gasps at the voice in her head. It was male! she turns to a suspect who sits in the window of the room. Who was that? He gave a wave; the soft slush of the liquids in his sake bottle and the red tinge on his brown cheeks indicates that he's drunk. He's dressed in black and his hair is red with eyes that fade from red to orange.

Wait a minute...

Whoa! Was this the Wandering Flame?

Sakura had read about him! He left the village! Though he didn't become a rogue... He claimed himself primarily neutral in all affairs and decided he'd take the side of what presented itself as morally right in any conflicts. It had been hard for his decision to be accepted and understood, but the Leaf soon acknowledged him as independent, and other villages did too, after he helped them in cases he deemed to. If she remembers correctly, he wears a head band with no village symbol to prove his universal loyalty.

Oh! There it is on his wrist!

He was a pretty cool guy to learn about, he's the first shinobi to be able to really observed the fighting styles of all the hidden villages, excluding the sound, and frankenstein them into a unique approach.

Epic.

"U-uh, that's ok, how can we help you?" she attempted to apply her manners as the guy saunters in and stands beside Yuyake:

 _"Oooooh~ It's nothing important, I just need to have a little chitty-chat chat with my adorable cousin here!"_ he explains, and Yuyake doesn't move beneath his palm; it seems as if she was expecting this.

"Oh! Right, My bad, I'm Sakura Haruno, by the way," she extends a hand, but she's left hanging for what she feels is an awkward amount of time. Oh crap! Was it weird she introduced herself right before she was to leave? Ugh, why couldn't she do anything right!

No, that wasn't it, the man before her looked between his hands, one was ontop of Yuyake's head and the other holding his bottle... Which hand should he shake with? If he let go of Yuya, she might slip away!

but his sake though...

Ah!

Solution! He leans into Yuyake and shifts to have his forearm on her head and places the bottle in that palm. _"Honoo Bokuso-chi, nice to meet cha!"_ he shakes, and there's a twich in Yuyake's brow. The bottle had hit her in the face and was warm and stunk!

Sakura smiles "It was a pleasure to meet you, too! Well, I guess I'll be going, Yuyake!" and she turned to depart.

 _"What a nice girl!"_ the man loitered and the human armrest had enough. She snatches the bottle and throws it into the near by trash. _"YUYAKE!"_ the man tilts the trash to rummage through it furociously. _"That was my last bottle! Akane stole my wallet, so I'm low on cash!"_ but the girl feels no remorse.

He sighs when he finds the beverage spilled.

What a waste.

 _"Hey, your hair got jacked during that whole fiasco just now, why don't I take you to get it fixed?"_ he offers, and Yuyake touches the damaged parts. Sasuke's chidori fried half her hair, and she hadn't even noticed. The once satin like texture was now akin to something of the fibers of a broom. Or at least that's what it felt like.

The girl nods at the offer.

 **~X~**

 _"That looks mighty good on you~"_ Honoo compliments as he picks a piece of meat from the grill between them. He had asked where she wanted to eat, and she chose here. She would have picked Ichiraku's, but she didn't want to think about Naruto or Sasuke right now.

Gah! she just did!

 _"I think it's a nice change"_ he speaks again, and she is brought back, her hand grazes over the area. The toasted folicles had been too far gone to do anything with, so half her head had been shaved and within the shortened strands is a design, a butterfly. Yeah, she liked it too, it was a nice switch up. Though she had to get use to her hair being over her left eye and not her right.

At least she looked cool.

Her right arm has the thin lightning lashes from the healed scar of Sasuke's chidori, and her left arm has warped, flesh from the whipping motion Naruto's Rasangan caused the wind to do. That scar wound down her arm in a spiral. The epic look it gives her makes her not want to rewrap the flesh, so she doesn't.

 _"We need to talk about what happened,"_

Oh great...

She really didn't want to speak about it or them; they had, obviously, made her mad. _"You've become way too reckless,"_ Honoo states and it's a topic he had planned to bring up even before this whole incident. _"I understand that you feel bad for what you did on your first mission, and that's why you let those two in, protected them, and introduced them to the family. And I respect that, but keeping a bond with some sand kid you don't know when it can kill you? Denying Bokuso-chi guards after you were kidnapped? Throwing yourself in between those two like that? You need to think of yourself sometimes..."_ he reasons and the look of anger on her features is 's getting better at reading her and he sees that sense of understanding in there.

How dare he?! She didn't do those things because she felt bad! It was cause she loved them! She loved the stuffing out of those two! Both the boy of darkness and the boy of light! She let them in because she wanted to be let in, not because she was remorseful. She protected them because they were nice people and deserved to be protected, not because she wanted to bury a hachet, sure, Sasuke was sometimes a jerk and Naruto was sometimes annoying, but Sasuke would be the first one to step up if they came across an innocent in peril, and Naruto had such a big heart and so much determination. And she gave them the family they deserved because theirs were wrongfully taken, not because she was trying to _repent_. As for Gaara? She did know him! Why couldn't anyone get that? She knew his struggle, his past. She knew why he was the way he was; she knew that no one else had believed in him. There are so many that turned their backs on him, breaking the bond would have made her the same way.

Yeah, she had rejected the guards, but that was for their own safety. The man they would be up against would destroyed them! She couldn't risk that. She was only one person, why was her one life more important than two of her people? And she already explained her distaste and reason for her reaction at the hospital. . .

Honoo sighs. He supposes he can see her logic in the situations, but she still needed to be careful! She was an heiress for goodness' sakes. What are her people suppose to do if she dies? so he asks her this and her response is another long stare filled with solutions she can think up but he doesn't really pick up on all of them, only most.

Finally the conversation is over and the Sake-lover pays for their meal with the last of his money.

Darn that Akane...

Yuyake leaves out the front door, but Honoo disperses in a flurry of smoke. In front of the resturaunt is Naruto and the mute is curious how he found her. His gaze is downward and regretful.

"Hey... Yuya... I wanted to say sorry... about your arm," blue eyes shoot to the limb, and the mangled flesh doesn't seem like a prize to him. Had he really done that? He takes a look at the other arm, "Oh man! Your hair... did we do that?" he asks and the girl brushes her digits over the stubbles. Then she nods. The boy's face drops lower into a pool of self-loathing. How could he do that? Even though Yuyake ran in front of it, if it hadn't been her, it would have been Sasuke he did that to. Was that what he wanted to do the the Uchiha? Bend his limbs the wrong way!?

The thought was disgusting.

"Anyway, do you-?" he's cut off by a peck on the cheek. He reels back as he looks at the girl. Sure, she had kissed him on the cheek before in good tidings, Sasuke too, and even Shikamaru when she caught him off guard, but he hadn't expected her to forgive him so fast...

The grin on her cheeks is genuine as she pulls her bandages and head band back up to cover her mouth.

That's what she wanted.

She wanted him to realize what it was he had actually been doing, and he did! She nuzzles her nose to his but rips away quickly and dashes off, waving to him as she departs.

. . .

Naruto wasn't sure he'd ever understand girls...

"Hey... Naruto... I want to talk to you, about Sasuke, so if you want that date..." the girl of his dreams appeared behind him and he turns to survey her trufulness as well.

What was going on?

 **~X~**

Yuyake was estatic!

That stunt she pulled worked perfectly on Naruto! Which means it should work well on Sasuke. All she had to do was find the Uchiha and make it seem like she ran into him by chance. Then he'd apologize, and he will have that same look of regret and understanding that Naruto did! Then, she'd drag the boys together and get them to make up in that weird way they do! Then, evey thing would be back to normal, and she and Sasuke would train their butts off again! And maybe this time, Sasuke would actually apply what he learns! Honestly, she feels like he didn't use what they taught each other during their last mission. It was a bit frustrating that the Uchiha had lost himself in his fit of rage and had just been like 'screw it'. Really, if he applied himself, he was just as strong as her, or even Naruto!

Oh! Yuyake wandered what their mother would make them tonight... After all, if Kakashi was back, so was she.

It takes way longer than it should for Yuyake to find Sasuke, but that was because she forgot about the brainwaves sensing thing. By the time she remembers, the sun has fallen, but she's heading towards him anyway.

But...

There were four malicious sets near the boy and the way the origins are dancing around each other, she wouldn't be surprised if they were fighting... That can't be good.

She needed to hurry up!

Her pace quickens, and she narrowly dodges oncoming obstacles.

She dives into the bushes and takes note of everything in the situation. Four on one, they seem to be handing Sasuke his tush and judging by their outfits, they were associated with that snake... Great.

 _"Oh man! Sasuke mentioned he had thought about leaving the village... are they here to pursuade him?"_ she ponders. Her fears are confirmed as they speak about the village's weakness and Sasuke's true purpose to destroy his brother. As her teammate is in the hands of the enemy, she launches. A foot slams into the head of the grey haired one holding the boy's ankle, and she backflips to land on a near by building top. Her ally falls on his butt on a tree branch and all attention is on her.

"Aw great, another leaf runt," is grunted at her and she's proud of the title. Sasuke turns to her with a glare so harsh it was like _she_ was the one who beat him up.

"Get out of here! It's none of your business!" he orders, but she won't leave.

His tone is unsettling, as well as his mindset. It's turning darker by the second, and she has to at least try to do something about it. She reaches into her her ninja pouch and procures a scroll she had prepped for this very conversation.

"Get out of here! I don't need your help," it's barked at her and the sound ninja are tempted to attack her.

"You heard him, he said he doesn't need you," the only female enemy spits at her. They didn't like Sasuke's tone either, what Yuyake didn't pick up was the fear he held for her safety. He clearly couldn't beat them, and she was still injured, so she couldn't take them either.

Finally, she opens the roll of paper and thrusts it outward to dance before her in the wind. It's a long list of names: Jaraiyah the Toad sage, Lady Tsunadae, Orochimaru, Honoo Bokuso-chi, Kakashi sensei, Sarutobi the Third Hokage, Yoru Bokusochi, Minato the Fourth Hokage, The first Hokage, The second Hokage, Akane Bokuso-chi. The list stretches with names of well known clans and individuals of legends. Even the Uchiha clan is on the list and the very last name written there is 'Sasuke Uchiha', and said boy just stares.

That firey look was alive in the kunoichi's eyes, and she hoped that if there was anytime he understood her, it was now. The Sound ninja said that nothing good comes out of this Village, well Yuyake wants Sasuke to see that the list she had written was of people who shared two things: 1. They were powerful and legendary, 2. They were all from the Leaf village.

If he stayed, if he stayed and trained till his eyes fell out with herself and Naruto, he would become great and deadly, and if he wanted to get his revenge then, so be it. Besides, wouldn't it be cool if he could figure out the curse mark without Orochimaru's help? She could help him do so! She just wanted him to stay here with her and Naruto. Sasuke's dark eyes lighten with recognition, and it's warm enough to soothe her quaking heart. Yes! He was going to stay! He was going to stay!

No! He was going to stay! The sound four watch the Uchiha's mind take a turn for the worse and their blood chills collectively. Sure, Orochimaru said not to force the kid, but they knew that if they returned empty handed, the blame would be on them...

They had to get rid of this girl.

"Hey, get lost, brat," and they plan to attack together and wipe her right out of existence. Their hands dance, and there's plenty of time, but Yuyake does something she's never done before. She freezes. The attack that flows from them morphs into a larger one and something roots her to her spot. It's not fear or any emotion really, but an actual physical force that bound her feet to the roof top.

What the..?

Why couldn't she-?

"What are you doing you idiot! Move!" Sasuke shouts, it's not like the girl to freeze up like that. Did she want to die?

She abandons attempts to dodge in favor of shielding herself from the deadly attack that approaches. There's a pressure ontop her head, and sunset eyes are wide when the molded Chakra sinks into her brown flesh like a knife through butter. It burrows deeper and deeper, getting beneath her skin and bones, but there is no pain. Instead, it flows through her like she isn't there, and it actually frightens the girl more.

What was happening?!

"Yuyake!" the call is desperate and male. Sasuke? Is it him doing this? The girl watches as the chakra is puppeted by another, and it swirls around her with a three-foot clearance.

"What?" The disbelief of the plump enemy with orange hair is mutual.

None of this makes sense!

Then the attack disperses and Sasuke looks feverishly for sighs of injury on his team mate.

None... Oh thank goodness...

Sasuke takes a moment to bask in the light-headed relief he receives.

But only a moment.

. . .

Who... was that behind her with his hand on her head?

In Yuyake's shadow is a tall figure in thick black with an orange swirl of a mask upon his face. He has hair like deadly black spikes.

Who the heck _was_ that?

The Bokuso-chi looks over her scarred arms for any new blemishes.

None... that was good.

..!

It flared out the corner of her eyes, a flap of black cloth, with a red cloud. . .It's a sudden realization for her and the flesh of her face pulls back beyond human compacities to personify her fear. Her body attempts to shake off the truth like its a dream and, it hurts Sasuke to tell her that this is real.

Then she's gone.

She's just _gone_. Her and the man disappear and they take with them the boy's right mind. No, this couldn't be happening! He-he promised her and her mother that he wouldn't let it happen again! But it did! It fucking did! He was standing right here, a mere 15ft away and he just... No, he'd get her back. There was no way he was letting that face of terror be the last look he gets of his sister.

The Sound Four stand with jaws hanging with incredulous. Who the heck was that guy? He just batted their attack away like it was nothing! Then he took the girl, which was fine, they were here for Sasuke anyway... but still, why?

"Bring her back,"

The grey haired leader turns at the Uchiha's determined tone. Bring her back? Is that what he said? How would they do that? They hadn't taken her!

"What?" he asks, maybe he misheard?

"Did I stutter? I said, bring her back," now all four turn to survey Sasuke. He stands with tight fists that drip blood at his side and a hood of raven follicles that casts a shadown over his eyes, leaving merely his grit teeth as his expression. He finally snaps his head up and the look he has curses them to a silence and submission while their minds torture them with replays of Orochimaru's punishments.

That look! Whoa... He really thought that-

 _DHH!_

The ninja hold themselves. They suddenly exploded with pain! Wait, when did they fall to the grass below the tree? Had that boy really struct them all so quickly!? The thought is worrying, he wasn't that strong a second ago. No, no way he gained such speed all of a sudden; it was a fluke, and they'd prove it. They return to the woody limbs of the oak giant and the boy is no where to be found. Where the heck?

There!

They wave their heads to find him. How was he moving so fast?! They chase images but each miss is like a tap on the shoulder from the boney digit of Death.

 _Tap._

This was bad! If they couldn't see him, they couldn't fight him!

 _Tap._

There's no way he could be this quick and quiet!

 _Tap._

They didn't even kidnap the dang girl _!_

There's a breeze, and the Boy continues to fade in and out of existence as he merges with the tree.

 _CRACK!_

His movements become the cackle of the swaying wood and the ninja of sound never hear him approach as he strikes. He clashes hard and fast; he corrects his mistakes to make each blow more deadly. No longer was he the one being pummeled, no longer was he taking damage. Predators become lambs and target becomes he who sacrifices. He tenderizes their meat with his blows and just as he is about to complete the ritual to satisfy his blood lust, he haults. The four were doomed from the start, the way his anger banished his features to the shadows and left behind only his eyes that glow in hate. It reminded them of Orochimaru when they have angered him...

 _"Don't fight back, it'll only make it worse..."_ it was a chant... It was the only way they survived this long.

"Now, I'm going to tell you one more time. Bring Yuyake Back," Sasuke orders in dark euphoria. Of course he was enjoying this... Was this why he was wanted so badly? Because the snake saw himself in the boy so profoundly!?

"Well?" Sasuke beckoned and they don't want to see that look again...

"We...can't," it's the boy with multiply arms who speaks. The bright pools of Uchiha blood grow close as the entity stepped forth to hear an explanation. "She... she wont be released till you... go to Lord Orochimaru..." the other three let the spider-boy talk; their own mouths stapled shut, "But she wont be left alone for good till Lord Orochimaru has your body as his own..." the Spider boy speaks, and Sasuke frowns.

He didn't like being manipulated...But Yuyake... Stupid Bokuso-chi... "And what if I just kill you three and not go?" he is curious of the out come, and it is what he expects.

"It...wont change your friend's situation... and you'll need us to lead you to Lord Orochimaru," the grey haird boy validates their existence.

"Fine" Sasuke finally gives, but he isn't happy about the whole thing... He'd have to leave everything... Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi... Mo-...Yoru... But after what he'd done to her, the least he can do is bring Yuyake back home... Even if it meant he'd have to lose his own.

So he did it.

Sasuke packs his things and says his good byes to Sakura. He takes the pills that make him almost die and is slammed into a cramp coffin of sorts. Then, when he's free, he is forced to fight his closest friend and adoptive brother.

He breaks his adoptive mother's heart and betrays his people. The process of defecting and ripping apart his make shift family makes him something akin to Itachi, and its sickening, but he swallows it.

Sasuke is a bit furious when he misses the dead line to become Orochimaru's next host. He decides then that he'll beat the snake at his own game and use him to grow strong only so he could take the snake's life and usurp the power the sannin held over the comrade.

So Sasuke swallows the teaching of the Snake for 3 years.

All so his adoptive sister may return and repair what he was forced to break.

Only she doesn't.

 **I'll draw new and improve Yuyake for the cover! Also! We'll be Rolling Directly into shippuden! Please Comment! It would be lovely ^^. Bye!**


	22. The strength we earn

**A/N: Chapter 1 has been edited... I introduce the concept of the "realm of waves" a place where new Bokuso-chi go to observe/sense brainwaves. I think it's worth reading, it's an extension of the chapter, so the addition should be on the very end.**

 **ONWARD!**

 **Previously**

All so his adoptive sister may return and repair what he was forced to break.

Only she doesn't.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 22: The Strength we earn**

Yuyake sits on top of the Hokage's tower. Her eyes glued to the large green gates of the Konoha entrance. She is just waiting for Sasuke to pop through those door with a jerk-ish smirk. He'd say 'Heh, you really thought I'd leave you idiots? You two would kill each other,' or something like that. But he hadn't. It had been a while since he left. How long? Yuya wasn't sure. What she was sure of is that she's sat in this particular spot and watched those doors more times than she cares to count.

However long it's been... Her scars have healed nicely, in her opinion. Her memory of Sasuke is purple and darker brown. The bones of her arm and hand are a print on her flesh and from it, there are thin lashes of purple lightning going outward. She still wore her fingerless gloves and she felt it was a rather badass look. The one she got from Na-ru-ru was it's simple two inch wide indention that whines down her arm and curls into a swirl on her shoulder. She worked hard to make the tissue soft again, and it is, but the dips and bumps are still there.

"Hey Yuya, there you are, wanna go train?" She turns to Naruto as he lands beside her. She sighs, the boy had been so spar-happy since his adoptive brother left, he said he's training to get Sasuke back... She understands his goal, and it is a sweet one, but she has to wonder if the village would accept the Uchiha back. He left willingly, after all.

Sure, his departure has taken a toll on many hearts, Naruto's, Sakura's, Kakashi, and herself, but if he returns, the choice would certainly have a questionable air.

Yuyake feels her mouth curve downward at the memory of her last day with Sasuke. She isn't sure what happen... All she knows is she woke up in the Bokuso-chi meadow the day after she was kidnapped and heard the news. Since then, she's often wondered why she was taken again in the first place, but quickly figured it was probably the whole 'protecting his interest' thing or whatever. It was stupid, that she knew for sure. So now she is back and has seen a lot of action since. It seems like every day she was in some activity. If she isn't on a mission, which she has a lot of, she is sparring, if she is doing neither of those, she is asleep or waiting for Sasuke to come to his senses. It's quite the emotional rollercoaster.

"Yuya?" she turns to the blonde beside her. Oh man, she went into one of her trances. She's been doing that a lot lately, even more so than usual. She nods to the boy's request, no matter how tired she is, she just can't turn him down. She stands and dusts herself off. "Got a place in mind?" Naruto asks, but Yuyake merely shakes her head before turning her back to him. This makes the fox holder's eyes widen; she wants to fight here?

Sensing his hesitation, the Bokuso-chi strikes. She switches between having her back to him and facing him head on. It's an improvement the girl felt added a nice sense of randomness to her style. She has also been focusing on her flexibility and agility, so she could curve around punches and tangle up kicks.

She still slams her weight into every blow and works out like crazy to make sure that weight is as solid as possible, though she hasn't really changed body wise other than her lovely lady guns. Naruto smiles fondly with every blow he redirects and every strike that is dodged. The girl has improved quite a bit. She decided to up her physical ability ever since the time her and Gaara had a mission simultaneously. She figured Gaara needs their chakra more than her because of the whole sand thing, so she doesn't rely on it as heavily as she used to, but when she got the chance, she certainly went all out.

 _CREEEEH! URHRH URHRH!_

Brown lips part in a painful expell as the girl grabs her ears and crumbles to her knees. "Yuyake!" Naruto is beside her with comforting hands upon her shoulders, "Take a deep breath," he instructs like he so many times before. The heiress is restricted to painful shudders that last hours.

She pants when the spell passes.

"Again?" she is asked and a nod is her response. "You've been having those head aches more and more often," Naruto observes, and it's true. Originally she only had them once a week, then once every couple days, then once every day, and now once every few hours; it's maddness. She went to see Lady Tsunade, but the Sanin has no explanation. Well, that's not true, the blonde kunoichi said it was probably a guilt or a stress thing, but Yuyake doubts that.

What ever it is. It's annoying. She places a hand on the whisker-ed cheek of her teammate to let him know that she's fine, and the blonde helps her stand. "Ready to keep going?" he beams and there's a nod of uncertainty, but she carries on anyway.

They strike, fast and respectful. Here, equals are students, and students are teachers; blows are lessons, and tests are pass/fail. They raise their scores with application and familiarize the knowledge in their notes. They grow closer to graduation and soon valevictorian is announced.

Yuyake stands with her diploma and a foot on Naruto's shoulder, a hidden blade in the heel extending before his throat. She smirks and moves her foot, extending a hand. An Uzumaki grin spreads wide, and the comraderie is thick in the air. She hugs him and pecks his cheek and Naruto rewards her with a chuckle.

"Come on, lets go see what Mamma-so-chi made!" and he darts, dragging the girl like a flag behind him.

 **~X~**

The three of them, Yuyake, Kakashi, and Naruto, sit around the table for their usual sets a plate before her little ball of energy, "Alright, lets eat!" Naruto proclaims as he breaks appart his chop sticks and samples his dish.

"Naruto, You have to rub your chopsticks together; I thought you would have learned from last time when you spent an hour picking out splinters from your tongue," the copy ninja speaks as his meal is served. Yuyake beams when her food is placed at her mercy before her.

 _"And one for..." _

The clan leader pauses. Everyone turns to the woman who stands behind an empty chair about to place one of the two plates in her hands down before the nonexistent occupant.

. . .

No one speaks as the woman grips the porcelain tight and clenches teeth. "Yoru-" _SPLSK!_ Kakashi is cut off when the extra plate is splattered against the wall.

 _"One for me,_ " Yoru drops unceremonially in her chair.

. . .

Hearts crack and the owners choke on the pieces. The heiress stares at the mess upon the wall. Her mother has not been taking Sasuke's leave well, for obvious reasons. Her posture had noticably slotched, her eyes had dulled, her smile shrunk, and her vibrant skin began to blemish.

"Yoru-" _SNAP!_ the grey haired man tries again, but the grieving mother stops him with the noisey break of her chopsticks.

When stuff like this happens, Yuyake couldn't help but resent her Uchiha brother a bit. How could he do this to their mom? Surely he couldn't have been stupid enough to think that no one would notice him missing? If he did, man, he's an idiot...

Dinner progresses in an elongating tense moment. No one speaks in fear of triggering someone, namely the mother. A worried Kakashi shoots looks to the female, but he's ignored and that is starting to warm his blood. When all edibles are devoured, the dishes are done by the kids and the house shuts down rather quickly afterwards.

The remaining siblings curl in their shared bed, and they can't help but think about how the mattress is too big for only two of them.

"Hey... are you asleep Yuya?" the shift of her head indicates she isn't. "Do you... Do you think we'll be able to get Sasuke back?" Naruto asks.

His eyes are a depressing blue ocean and its current turns the girl around. Her sunset orbs meet his, and she smiles before nodding. She traces her finger over the bedsheets and Naruto attempts to read what she is 'writing'. He smiles when he follows the words:

 _"We have to get him back. He completes us! Think about it...I'm brown, you're tan,and he's pale! You're goofy, I'm a silly but cool chick and he's just 'cool'. You're loud, he's quiet, I'm silent."_ she stops for a moment to think of at least one more, and it slaps her in the face like destiny. Her eyes widen and, rushed, she traces _"You're Morning, I'm evening, he's night!"_ and her grin is wide.

Naruto pauses for a second. Morning, evening, night? How are... _CLICK!_ Oh! he got it! Their eyes. His are the sky in the morning, hers are sunsets, and Sasuke's are the night sky... His grin grows twice the size of the girl's before him. They really did complete each other... Together, they're perfect...

So what are they going to do apart?

 **~X~**

 **!**

The silence wakes the teens.

. . .

There is something heavy about it that smothers the two out of their own dreams.

Could it be...?

They fling out of bed and dash for the front door, a force of dread beckoning them there with little explination.

"Alright! Who's messing with Mamma-so-chi?" the blonde demands and the scene before them drops their faces. The enemy is present in three. One has a purfusely bleeding Kakashi pinned and another had their mother down.

The shinobi turn to the children. They weren't expecting brats... the kids, just like the target, are in their sleeping wear. That means they shouldn't have weapons. Good...

"Shut it blondy, one false move and the old man is dead," the third one is free of burdens and full of threats.

"Who are you guys and what do you want with Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto barks as his day-blue eyes bleed to a murderous red.

"Nothing at all, this is about the girls," the man smirks and there's something about it that boils Yuyake's blood. She's lost enough family already, and he thought he could smile while trying to rip away more? The heiress dashes forward to beat that look off the man's face, but Naruto catches her.

"No, it's too dangerous!" this makes the man's face more irritating as he walks over to the mother; his hand pulses with chakra. "Don't worry, we don't want her to come over here, we just want her to see what happens when mommy doesn't make good on her deals,"

Blue chakra snakes up the man's body and strikes for his ears, but it's sluggish with its low quantity and goes noticed. The man shoots forward with Chakra thick enough to cut. And the neck of Yoru is the target.

 _"NO!"_

 _ **SHVEWAH!**_

There's a gold pulse that passes through all surrounders.

. . .

A pause...

 _CreHK!_

they crack...

Everyone, cracks, bandits in the stomach, Kakashi in the head, her mother in the throat and Naruto's arm. Everyone's flesh splits clean in black, jagged lines.

What was...?

Yuyake falls limp but her weight shifts her to be on her back. She watches the dark spider webs stretch with variety, and pieces begin to fall. But where was it going? It couldn't just be falling into nowhere!

"Yu...ya" Naruto calls for her just as he shatters.

"Yuyake..." Kakashi next.

"B-Baby?" last is her mom. Everything falls and with that they combust into invisible particles until her world is black.

. . .

 **N/A Yo... don't forget to read chapter 21... it seems like a lot of people may not have seen when it updated.**

 **please! Comment, I'd love to hear your brain x3.**


	23. His Investment

**Previously  
** "B-Baby?" last was her mom. Everything falls and with that they combust into invisible particles until her world is black.

. . .

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 23: His investment**

Yuyake stares at darkness and starts to feel her body again. She flexes each muscle systematically till she's sure she can move, and she does. She sits up and she feels heavier than she remembers. Her head is the last thing lifted and really it just topples forward.

She opens her eyes.

...

This... isn't her body.

Ok, ok, follow her on this one.

This body is the same milk chocolate pigmentation, down to the last skin cell, and from what she can see, her arms have the same additions from Naruto and Sasuke, and the hair that falls around her is the same silky texture, _and_ it's even clothed in the same threads.

But!

This body dips and arches in places her body never so much as bends and is at least 4 inches taller; there are two big lumps, the size of grapefruit, on the chest and the clothing is pulled taut around curves. That hair she mentioned earlier? half a foot longer! And she reached up to check, the hair is grown out on her right, not shaved!

Honestly, she would have thought it was her mother's body if the woman had lighter skin, straighter hair, smaller boobs, and a slimmer frame.

Wait... She's on a square of white...

. . .

She's putting together what happened in her head. The more the pieces fall in place, the more desparate she becomes.

 _"No... no,no,no,no,no,no!"_

Where is he!?

Yuyake twists, and she finds the being behind her; she halts. The abyss of his mask is filled with a single drop of Uchiha lineage that looks so jovial. It makes her shutter. She has to stay calm. Ok, get up slowly...

...Good.

It's foreign, the ability to watch his eye follow her, and she thinks she liked it better when it was darkness. Why change? She turns to him fully and tries to depict an appropriate stance.

But she can't...he just seemed so pleased with her, and with a man as jacked up as him, there's no way anything he defines as 'pleasing' is good. What had that Genjutsu done? her heart falls, she had done a lot of fighting when she was under... had she killed someone? Was it someone she knew!?

 _TH-THUMP!_

Naruto!? Sasuke?!

 _TH-THUMP!_

Her mother?! Would even he tell her!?

 _TH-THUMP!_

Her heart races her mind.

The man just stands there with such glee. He had that genjutsu specially made by Itachi, just like last time. It was meant to switch between real life mobility and paralysis. The only times she was meant to move around was when she was in combat, him always being her opponent, and when she was eating; there was also when she had to use the bathroom, bathing and otherwise, but he'd rather not talk about that. In a nutshell, it was like a training simulation and while she didn't notice, her body and subconscious picked up on the inconsistencies.

But even that wasn't enough to bail her out of the jutsu. No, that was something else.

As she keeps watching him, it's like a stab in the gut when she realizes she's staring into a sharingan eye.

 _"Uchiha..."_ were her thoughts, but who could he be? She knew Sasuke's brain wave signature like the back of her hand, and she saw Itachi's; his signature was nothing like this man's. So there is a third Uchiha who survived the massacre? One older than both Sasuke and Itachi...

Let's see... Because they were rivals, some Bokuso-chi kept track of Uchiha mess-ups, the ones that defected or died, and her mom used to be one of them and used to babble like crazy about it, even after they were gone...

"Bokuso-chi."

The deep note the tone hits beckons her attention to his side. The tilt to his head rises mounds of flesh on the girl's skin.

 _TH-THUMP!_

What was it? What did he want?! Why was he always so quiet? Why was he always messing with her head!?

 _STEP!_

Yuyake admits she flinched when the man approaches her, and it's pathetic. She can't let him know he had so much sway over her. Her method to prove this? Stand strong and stubborn against the push of his dark aura. It's hard to keep her straightened posture when her spine wishes to curl, but she does it with clenched fists.

The man is before her.

Her extra height has placed her just at his ribcage and, honestly, she's not pleased by the difference. Her neck cranes till she looks to him, and he seems content standing there in all his dark euphoria.

There's that pitched ringing that's birthed by undisturbed silence.

Yuyake is beginning to resent her heritage. Her powers have grown and all brain waves were present without expolsion of chakra or attention,and the man before her bursts of murky red, palpitating from his being like a mist of blood. She holds her breath when it enters her air space, and he lowers his chin to look at her.

"You can disrupt chakra flow with your brainwaves," he speaks, a sense of. . . pride? curves around the syllables.

She can what?

Sunset orbs widen. She can... that's her special technique? That must be how she got out the genjutsu. Whoa, this is huge! She had actually developed her own skill! And it's awesome! Man, she is lucky! OH! she can't wait to tell her sister! Naruto! Her cousin! Her Uncles and Aunties! Oh! They were going to be so proud at home!

. . .

Her mood sours, and she turns it on the man before her.

She isn't going home anytime soon, is she?

She attempts to step out the funk she has mixed with his bloody vapor, but he holds her there, suffocating her with his proximity and what he stands for. Her excitment sinks beneath the dark atmosphere, and her head falls under the weight of her realization.

Her distaste is strickly her own; the male before her is, for lack of a better word, estatic. It was a gamble he took, focusing on her all this time. She hadn't been all that impressive, really, more experienced, but that was all she had going for her before. She had puny chakra reserves compared to her heritage, and she opted to avoid battle, making it hard to get an idea of her abilities.

But it turned out to be worth it.

Not once did the man ever have one 'big' reason for focusing on her. It has always been a growing list of small ones. Originally, he was looking for a means to cause civil war within the Bokuso-chi compound. Her kind is too loyal and strong, having the lowest defect and death rates in the village, and they became a subtle beacon of hope.

And he despises hope.

So he schemes to destroy it. He wants them to eat each other, to burn their brother's back and snap their daughter's neck. But it's harder than he expected. Even with his experience.

He had done something similar to the Uchiha clan. Everyone loved and adored them for their strength and beauty, but such a shallow relationship was easy to disturb. So he did, he used his skills and cunning to create the Nine tail fox's attack. He disposed of the hokage and his wife, and while it was simply a precaution to make sure the Uchiha recieved the blame, it is also a cherry on top.

Who else would have the ability to control the tailed best?

Who else could have such power and also be bitter towards the Hokage?

At the time, the defection rates for the clan were nonexistent, and the ones who weren't accounted for were dead. So clearly it had to be the ones who co-founded the village, but never got a spot on the throne. It must be the people who were stuck holding up the law of the village, even when that law wasn't helping them one bit.

How could _not_ be them?

Yes, it had been particularly simple to deal with his clan.

But their lies the problem.

It was _his_ clan.

In order to cast unreasonable doubt on the Uchiha, the attack had to be done _by_ an Uchiha. So, applying the same principal, in order to cast doubt on the Bokuso-chi clan, the treason had to be performed _by_ a Bokuso-chi. It's problematic, but true, so he searched for skilled outlaw, who held the same origins as the mutes.

No luck.

There are none that have defected, and there are none who are mistaken to be dead.

Then he catches a break.

There's a kid, a brilliant one, who doesn't necessarily turn his back on the village, but claims to be 'village neutral' meaning he does not belong or reside in any village. The child clearly doesn't want to be seen in a bad light, but The masked man literally couldn't care less. So he told Nagato of Honoo Bokuso-chi, the Wandering Flame, and the man waited to confront the child about the dirty deed.

But mistakes are made.

Nagato underestimated the boy. It was expected that Nagato or Konan would approach Honoo, but that didn't happen. No, Pain sends instead Deidara, pinning kid against kid.

And he f _ails._

The one chance he had, and his pawns screwed it up. Clearly, the masked man cannot reapproach the Bokuso-chi, so he must find a different way entirely.

And this time, he'd handle it himself.

The Bokuso-chi were no doubt a future problem in his war.

So he sought to snuff them out.

He sought to rip them apart, to destroy their legacy, to weaken their resolve; to devour their hope...

Just like the Uchihas, all those years ago. Funny how the two clans hate each other so much, yet had so much in common.

And killing their precious heiress right under their nose was a great way to do it.

But he is not an irrational man.

No, he waited, reevaluating his options to ensure his choice was the one best for him. And it wasn't. The more he watched, the more useful she became. She was close to Sasuke, someone that already had the man's eye, _and_ the nine tailed fox. That tidbit alone was enough for him to keep her alive when he gets word that Orochimaru plans to steal her flesh. But just barely. So while he had her captive, he decided to rock her morals.

She did have some things working for her: above average fighting abilities, and she knew more jutsu than others her age, a side effect of the unpredictability of her mother's life span. And this was enough. So he watched. He watched and stayed patient. The legends in her life propell her forward and snatch her up to their level and the progress was stunning. He tested her growth in the final exam, and he's pleased by her progress, but he belittled it. He needed her to go farther and push harder.

He needed her to develop a skill.

But she stagnants, and he's aware of Orochimaru's plans for the boy Sasuke. The stress would only further deteriorate her progress, and he couldn't let her do that; not when she seemed so close to finding her power. So he steals her from her family and places her in her mind where he trains her.

During the session, the masked man finds out things that upset, yet excite him.

For instance, the one tails.

Apparently she has locked them in the most dangerous bond: One. Named after the unity it gives, the merging of Body and Mind that seems to take place in its duration. It's exciting, because he knows their chakra will merge, and that would mean he's already in possession of the Shikakku's Chakra. This removes the hassle and time it would have taken for Deidara and Sasori to capture the jinguriki, as well as saves the money and supplies needed for the venture.

So that was good.

But it removes one of her useful qualities. He had planned to mold her mind to be the polar opposite of Sasuke's, therefore, when they meet next, they could recreate the legendary Boku-chiha Combination that is feared by both the clans involved.

They would have been powerful! Destructive! Deadly.

It would have been the first time since the 'One' bond between Murasakino Bokuso-chi and Madara Uchiha.

But what ever. what was done was done...

He drops her from his gaze, and she crumbles.

That's enough reflecting, it's time to get back to work. Speaking of which, he needs to test her endurance again.

 _CRACK!_

Yuyake is just as pleased as him when she sees dodging has become a reflex; she tumbles onto her feet and out the way of a rod of metal. When she gets up, however, she notices things... look different.

The more he attacks and claws at her defense, the closer it gets. She can feel it, what ever it is, and it excites her body. Her brain is on the edge of its seat, waiting with knowing anticipation for the climax that is apparently about to occur.

Then it happens.

The realm of waves and reality completely _merge_.

Her eyes widen.

Before she flickered, jumping from world to world; then she partially over lapped them, where the waves were visible in reality, but now? Now they were one. It doesn't only mean she recieves a peek into the mindsets of all around her, but something much more. The liquid from the realm spills over, filling the air with its invisible slosh. And the world acts like it's submerged: her body is lighter, barely ever touching the ground, and even the masked man moves as if slowed by the thickness of the water.

It's amazing!

She felt she had barely progressed in such a long time, for her to awaken and shoot past bench marks she hadn't even set yet. It was exciting! So she relishes in seeing his hits come, with plenty of time to react, and she takes advantage, using it to dodge, observe, calculate, and defeat.

What she doesn't know, is this is an exercise meant to test her longevity, not so much her offense, so her epiphany is noted, but useless.

 **~X~**

The heiress, tired as all goodness, falls to the ground. Her body rises and falls and the man above her stands unfazed. She is getting better, expected under his tutelage, but no where near _there_. But this is, no doubt, where they'll have to stop for now.

He had matters he had to attend to. For one, the girl's bond with the shikkaku means the red head will have to be hunted _after_ the ninetails is secured, which was bothersome. There were other matters as well, all that had to be discussed with Nagato and Konan. So he'd let her rest.

Yuyake was more than releaved when his presence fades, and she rolls over to be on her side. Now she knew this wasn't her body. This one sweats at the slightest hint of physical activity and it gets all stinky really fast, and it's really gross. Her's never had this problem, heck, she could skip showers and still be fine! This body was way too needy... She frowns when her stench bounces off the the flooring and into her nose.

Ugh! Gross!

It made her feel awkward in her skin, and she doesn't like it.

She'd have to ask the masked man what he did with her real body...

 _"I bet mom would know what's wrong"_ she thinks and the m-word unlocks an onslaught of names and memories that just make it worst. Sure, it was all a genjutsu, but what if her mom really is going through that? And yuyake is missing too?! Man! Her mom is probably borederline suicidal...

Yuyake rolls onto her back and stares at the infinite darkness. How is Naruto taking it? Heck, did Sasuke really leave? What is going on with her loved ones!?

The questions build up in her throat and she chokes on them, but still they linger. She decides to cut it off when they fill her eyes,

 _"Maybe I should sleep... I don't know when that man will be back and if he plans to attack again..."_ and it's not as hard as one would think for her to close her eyes and embark upon the world of dreams.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

"Yuyake," The girl jerks into a sitting position.

Who was calling her?

Whoa, wait a minute, where is she? The odd cubes of material have been pleasently replaced by grass freckled with succulents and flowers. The scene is endless and the color is soaked unnrealistically in warm, calming sunlight.

. . .

But where was the sun?

"Yuyake," She jumps. She knew that voice! Sunset eyes wave about, eagerly searching. He had to be here. She turns, and there he stands. He's dressed in red and a drape of white with crossed arms and a face she welcomes dearly.

"Gaara!" she shouts. . . That's odd...

She could actually talk here.

Little does she know her disability leads to clumsy lips, so while her words come out perfectly clear, her mouth does not shape accordingly. But who cares? He's here! She pounces for him and he welcomes the subsequent aquaintance with the ground. A hand of his rests onto her head as she rubs her fleshy cheek to his. Though he had remained stoic in his countenance, the air about him reads as relieved as she is at her presence.

The female is far more skeptical.

A pause.

Is this real?

"Release!" and Gaara jostles lightly from her proclaimation. Why would she think...? Yuyake sits back on her feet with joyous eyes when her attempt to escape a nonexistent jutsu is futile. "Yay! You're actually here!" she beams. The red head smiles as he props himself up with an arm and his free hand touches her cheek.

"I was starting to think I couldn't reach you anymore..." he admits. The wattage of her smile dems to a warming one and her head tilts towards his palm.

"Honestly, I'm shocked too, I can't sense any brainwaves where I am, I didn't think you could reach me either," she says, and it is then she remembers that their ties are deeper than chakra or brainwaves; they are no longer two individuals, but a single being that can exist in two places simultaneously.

Then they connect.

Yuyake encases his face with her hands and she leans in till their foreheads touch. They let their knowledge flow into each other, and they're both devastated by the information. She'd been missing for a year?! Aparently her mother was, in fact, losing it and Sasuke had, in fact, left the village. Her presence, to Gaara, appears to be exactly where she was abducted, and she informs him that it's the same man who had taken her last time; aparently it's a man of orange, black, and red... What?! Naruto and Sasuke fought, and the Uchiha nearly killed the blonde?! There's more but she's breaking just thinking about it all. Gaara watches as her face curls, and she chokes on her emotions in an attempt to swallow them back down; she holds fast. She keeps their connection up untill she doesn't have to. She pulls away when they've both been caught up, and a hand instinctively goes to her heart.

Gaara's presence sends out vibes of comfort, and she welcomes them, but it does little. Her team had been split up by the forces of evil and her family was without stability. If her mother were to, and goodness forbid, die, there would be no one to lead the Bokuso-chi.

"Where are you?" the red head attempts to usurp her attention from the dark thoughts.

"I'm not all that sure myself, I know I was here last time I was taken, but where 'here' is, I'm not sure. It's just this world of darkness with a never ending pyramid of white cubes. I don't know," she shrugs, looking a bit defeated. "I can't see it being a building, first of all, it would have to be outrageously huge, like insanely so, and, if it were, you would be able to find me since we can still speak." she rationalizes. It confuses the boy, if she wasn't in a building and clearly wasn't outside, where could she be?

"You're not in this world?" he suggests, and the girl flinches; it sounds like she's dead.

Wait. No, this can't be the afterlife, this is her second time here. And the man goes in and out like this place is his home. "I don't think so, the man uses his chakra to just go in and out at will."

Interesting.

"I see," the boy nods and decides they've done what they could with this topic, for now. "We've never been here before," he states, glancing at his surroundings, The girl waves her head to comfirm it. Hey, he's right. The two had chatted on a level like this before. Three times, each time, while Yuyake was sleeping. Each time they would mentally converge, the scenery was different. It was never a place they had visited together, but rather an amalgamation of a place he'd been and a place she'd been.

The places had different rules too. This one, for example, allowed Yuyake speech. She glances around and notices some succulents and rare herbs. Those must be from Gaara's memory.

"Some of these plants are from the green house in the sand," the boy confirms. The rest must be from Yuyake, which was probably the Bokuso-chi meadow.

She looks around to take it all in, and it's gorgeous, just like all the other ones. Then she turns to Gaara, and he sees she's eased, which is good.

They take the time to talk about themselves and the other, about how much they've changed and grown in such a short period of time, mentally and physically. It's cut short when Yuyake's form lifts from the ground.

Uh-oh, she's waking up.

"I've gotta go... See you tomorrow," the girl waves as she ascends higher into the pale pink sky. She was confident in her new abilities that she'd be able to make this happen the next times she slumbers.

Below her, the boy stands with his innate crossed-arm posture. His sea foam blue connects with her even at such a distance, and she gasps.

He was leaving the leaf village the next day... Apparently he'd been frequenting there every few months and would stay to attempt contact with her; his stays usually lasted maximum of four weeks. It was an on going mission that her mom was paying for but as soon as he received word about all the information he could get on her where abouts, he was to stop the visits.

It panics the mute because she wasn't sure if his location would complicate their meeting... She couldn't be stuck in here with just that masked lunatic, but she understood that such a mission was probably pricey because of its longevity. Her mother couldn't keep it up forever...

"Bye," She says, because she's not sure she'll see him again.

 **~X~**

Black hair falls into Yuyake's sight when she awakens.

She has been woken up.

The man is beside her form, and her nose catches food in the air. She snaps up to look at him and he squats, handing her the bowl and cup. It's healthy, at least. Fish, beans, rice, water.

...

There is silence while she eats, and she wonders how far she'll get if she attacks the man.

Only one way to find out.

She flings the bowl at him and he catches it, along with her fist.

"Be patient, there will be plenty of time for that" and he knocks her on her rear. Curse his reflexes. Yuya crosses her arms. He points a ways away and she raises a brow.

What is over there?

It's no animal and certainly no human. Glancing back at him, She gets up and approaches the figure, her senses on high alert for a trap or an ambush.

Buckets.

It was two buckets and a towel. A make shift bathing station...

Did he want her to bathe? Right here!? But... it's so _open._ She survey's more and sees there's also an outfit that has the same pattern as his haunting cloak, a simple long sleeved top and pants.

Yeah... how about no? She looks back to the man to tell him he can go screw himself, with gestures of course, but he's no where to be found.

She sighs.

Well... she _does_ stink...

 **~X~**

When the man returns, the Bokuso-chi does not stink as bad as before, but she also has not changed into the clothing he provided. Instead, she sticks with her clearly too small threads with defiance. He had tried getting her to change while she was under the Genjutsu, but even then she somehow defied him.

Geeze this kid... Maybe he'd just kill her after all.

 _"Holy crap!"_ she mentally screams when she barely dodges another of his projectiles. Where does he even get these things!? They just spond from his flesh like it's his bone!

Behind her!

She flings herself away again.

 _AHK!_

The girl chokes when she's dangled by her collar. "Survive" he demands and she's flung. She catches herself and dashes away. The point of this session was clearly not strength, but endurance, and it makes her muscles droop.

Again!?

She runs and dodges and flips and turns and blocks and sometimes attacks. The time that has been set aside for this is extensive, and it keeps the girl from her dream world where Gaara attempts contact her.

During his journey home, he meditates each night but gets nothing in return. She was not sleep... She couldn't be. When she was in slumber, but unreachable, he would get a sort of static. but when she was not there at all, it was just black.

She is not there.

For the next couple weeks, she is not there. She's surviving a never ending onslaught from the man who has her. She attempts to attack, but they're useless. Each kunai becomes a little more off target and each kick is a bit more sluggish than before. The days roll by but the girl can't tell. There is no sun or moon where she is. she just keeps moving till she literally cannot. She is givin food and water, but very scarcely. She rations what she's fed but he's certain not to give her more till she's gone at least 24 hours without nourishment.

The lack of sleep starts to chew away at her sanity, but she holds strong.

Then she stops.

Mid-speedy-pursuit, a month from when they first began, her body shuts down and she just falls to the ground like a corpse. Good progress. It's a week better than last time, and three weeks better than the first time. She is getting better, one week at a time.

He'd let her rest.

He looks at her unconcious form. She is being stubborn about the clothing, and this last excercise had totaled them... They're ripped in inappropriate places... She would definitely have to change.

* * *

 **Please Comment! I love to hear your brains!**


	24. Freshening up

**Previously**

He'd let her rest.

He looks at her unconcious form. She was being stubborn about the clothing, and this last excercise had totaled them... It was ripped in inappropriate places... She would definitely have to change.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 24: Freshening up**

When Yuyake awakens, she still refuses clothing, She attempts to appropriate herself, and it works for another month, but that's it. Still, she refuses the clothing he gives her and when he snatches the ones she's been wearing while she bathes, she literally refuses to leave the tub for a _week_. She dumped the water out, as to avoid pruning and swelling, and she just walked around holding the buckets to her. This left her tush exposed, however, so she would be sure to keep her front to the male.

What was wrong with her?

He assumes she can't keep this up forever, and he's right. Another wasted week later, she stops giving a hoot, and when he arrives, she's about in her clearly too small underwear.

He has enough and tries to force her into the threads, but she rips them again and again and again. His blood is on the verge of boiling, mostly due to the stagnation in the training, and he even uses his threats against her. But in some areas, she's deadly stubborn. Finally. A total of one month and two weeks, since the start of this fiasco, later, he caves in to strike a deal.

She would get dressed if she gets to pick the clothing.

Fine.

He can easily find a place that's too far for Bokuso-chi to sense, and too far for the one tails to reach her in time. The biggest issue will be keeping her from stalling and trying to get away... So, he finds a place he think is perfect, and he plans the trip. He tells her she has 12 hours, max, to find her outfit and do what she wants in the area. Failure to choose before the time limit is up will lead to him losing any care about the topic. They would continue training, clothing or not. Any attempts to escape would lead to her inevitable capture and a punishment she couldn't fathom, unless she could could fathom how it would feel to have her joints dislocated and herself pinned to one spot by metal rods.

Any attempt to make contact with those of the leaf village will be stopped and the same punishment will insue.

With rules in place, the girl dresses in the horrendous clothing to go get replacements. The man himself drops a wide hat on her head and she's confused by it. It's made of straw and has a curtain of paper funneling her vision straight ahead.

Was it to hide her Identity?

"You'll need it," is all he says as he takes hold of the back of her neck and guides her into to opening before them. When they enter the human world, the light stabs her retinas.

 _"MY EYES!"_ she pulls the hat down further to shield herself. How had she forgotten the side affect of staying so long in that place? Man it burns! The bottom of her sight waters and it only spreads when she blinks.

She felt like a mole person...

"Let's go," Yuyake feels the limb on her neck push, and she starts wallking, but keeps her eyes on the ground. Oh gosh... had the grass always been this green? She's so busy that she doesn't notice Gaara reaching for her in their mind.

He could sense her. Expected. She tells him that she is, infact, outside for the first time since abduction and the male says he's on is way, but she stops him. There was no way he'd make it in time, and he knew that, it was best that he get to a messenger bird to be ready to record where she is as soon as she figures it out. When they enter the area, she looks around. The mounds of earth and the common fashion is a dead give away. She tells him she's in the land of lightning and he confirms the knowledge before departing to send word to her mother. She looks about as the male beside her keeps the contact with her flesh.

Yuyake requests that she gets her hair done while she's here and the man ponders it for a time. It certainly wasn't nessecary... but there was also no harm. He nods, and She's taken to the a barber shop where she indicates that she wants the right side of her hair shaved down with a design. She wants the characters fo*r 'lightning', 'fox' and 'mind' put there and man explains that it's feasable, but will take a few hours. Yuyake nods, accepting the deal.

"You don't have a few hours," is all the masked man says, and he places extra money on the counter to hasten the job.

The barber nods furiously "Yes sir! Right away sir!" he speaks.

 _"I'm being held captive by this man,"_ and the barber jumps at the voice.

"What... who was that?" he asks and The male in black and red painfully squishes the cheeks of the heiress together before turning her to look at him.

"It was nothing. Right?" he tilts his head in that creepy way, and she snatches from him, shrugging in response.

When she's properly done, the man restores his hold on her neck and leads her to a clothing store. "You're lucky I don't end this venture after that stunt," he warns, gaze dead ahead and the girl hears nothing; at least, she pretends not to.

The store is full of durable clothing for ninja and Yuyake silently groans when the store reflects the nation's fashion craze. those little pieces of armour that don't cover one's left breast. Why? Why were these a thing?

Well... to each their own she suposses.

She looks around and grabs a few things, a bit excited to switch up her style. What will she look like next? It had to show her arms of course. she takes her items to the changing room and switches between her choices. She looks at herself in a skin-tight, sleaveless leotard. Maybe she'd destract her opponent with her new curves? No... if she did that her assets would lose their shock factor. People never expect her to reveal her awkward body.

She poses in a shirt that's too big for her. Perhaps she'd get her opponent to underestimate her with her childish face? No, rogues are heartless... She was attacked by them on her way home from the land of waves when she was smaller.

Hm... she goes through the outfits and each one disappoints her with its make or fit. She frowns when she goes to another store and the story is the same.

she's close to giving up. She manages to find a nice pair of black ninja

She finds epic fingerless black gloves and Ninja boots that extend half way up her thigh. Then she sees it.

A body suit that is flattering around her abdomen and baggy at her thighs.

It's perfect.

so excited she almost gets stuck while putting the article on, and she looks in the mirror.

Yup, just as badass as she imagined it.

But it's missing something...

She searches through the items she's collected and finds a hanger with that one-breasted armour she was complaining about, but this one was red with two fastens around the waist and tie-able ends at the bottom that are long enough to fit anyone. She actually has to wrap the cloth limbs around her hips twice.

Then entire time she works on the piece, she wonders why exactly she grabbed the armor in the first place. Usually, she wouldn't even have touched the ruby red piece, but she did, and, looking in the mirror, she was going to end up buying it too.

...

Yuyaked frown at her glass replica.

...

Something about her outfit was familar...

A shrug, and the girl drops the subject. What did it matter, she looked badass, didn't she? That's all that mattered. She supposes she can count this as a sucessful shopping trip!

But Yuyake doesn't come out the dressing room. No, Instead, she rolls her neck and shoulders, prepping. She takes a breath and rests her forehead on the wood. Then, She solidifies her brainwaves and the wall falls into splinters. She was hoping to attract attention.

Preferably good attention.

Like the police or the land of Lightning equivalent.

Dust is kicked up in a thick cloud, and she shields her eyes as she steps through the opening, some people run away, and she coughs the dust out her system as they do so. Before she can part her eye lids, an arm bends around her throat and uses her anatomy to drag her through the air. The toned biscep crushes her wind pipe, and she gasps for the air that flings past her. "YeAH!" the limb leaves her to crash hard into a mound of stone.

Ow...

Man, that was so fast. She didn't even have time to temporarily deaden her nerves so she could slowly introduce her body to the pain... She pushes herself out the rock's hold and takes a look at the opponent she just got mixed up 's large with blond braids and a definitely kumo-style fashion. She pulls herself down to his level and he stands there ready to fight.

"I'm just a rappin' dude who likes to be the crap out of the villain fools, ya fool. I don't know your face, who are you?" it's hard to determine what tempo he's following, but the words make the girl grin nonetheless. She smiles wide when she sees him bursting with a yellowish-white. She is hopping she'll get thrown in prison and they'll search her and find her leaf village headband. That way she can get to her people! She's ready to attack, and the opponent sizes her up.

She doesn't seem like much, but the Octo-bro is taking no chances. He whips out all of his eight-sword glory, and he's prepared to fight. The sight of his weaponry makes the girl beam even brighter and the man wonders if she's one of those phsycos. Then she does something he's not expecting. She holds up a hand that demands his halt and pulls a notebook from absolutely nowhere. She walks closer and he's on guard for her attack, but when he visibly tenses, she stops, 10 feet away, and falls into a cross-legged position as she takes a pencil out.

And she starts drawing...

Drawing.

In the middle of battle.

She had him shocked as he slowly sees himself appear upon her page in graphite. Huh. She was drawing him as art and that was drawing him apart. OooOH! That was a good lyric! The man holds his pose till she concludes her session and puts the black book up. She gathers distance between them and is ready to continue, but now the male pulls out a notebook of his own and jots down something about art.

As a fellow notebook-keeper, Yuyake respects his book and gives him time to finish writing. _PAH!_ It snaps closed loudly and he tucks it away. Normally, if someone bothers him, but they end up inspiring him, he'd let he or she go, but this girl had bothered the actaul village and that couldn't be.

"Yo, yo! You carry books of black and that's a fact, but I can't let you go just because of that, Ya fool, you idiot," he annouces and the Bokuso-chi accepts this without problem. She glances around them and is pleased that he'd taken them to a more remote area. Her grin welcomes the battle, and she charges forth to embrace it.

They clash at full force.

Bit by bit they learn each other and they melt into a unison blow by blow. Every time they block fist with fist, it tells the jinguriki a little more about the girl. He learns that her strikes were held back, and it confuses him, but it is with each clash he realizes she is not trying to harm him. It forces the man to withdrawl a lot of his own strength, so he can get to know the girl. Why is she doing this? Who is she?

Actually...

She looks kind of familiar.

Friendly familiar at that. So he tests her; he stops the battle to shoot of a hot verse, and she pauses, mid-swing, with him and dances like she means it. She flings her hips and swings her hair and the man is certain that she's wasiting a lot of energy doing so.

That's not the behavior of someone trying to kill, or even a psyhco. In addition to that her blows are respectful and never aimed at vital areas like the neck.

She isn't trying to hurt him.

Her smile is only expressed in the indentions of the white bandage like marterial over her mouth. Wait, was that a leaf village symbol? She's awfully dark to be one of the leaf's children. She looks like she belongs here. Actually... those eyes. At this point they've synced up to a series of strikes and blocks,and he knew then...

They part for another bar and a dance.

"Boku-Boku-Bokuso-chi, it looks to me that you're from here ya see," and the mention of her origins is welcomed for once. The girl's eyes seem ever so happy that he's figured it out.

"Ya messy fool, why were you causing Trouble?" He mispeaks the last word for a ryhme; it's a stretch, but Yuyake appreciates the effort. In response, she lets her dancing speak for her. The way her hands drag over her neck and are sometimes weighted down are gestures of bondage and the violent sway of her head is something akin to tinkered minds; the male gets the jist of it: She was being held captive and she did it to get attention.

Made sense.

"Yo yo, I understand there are people you're missin', but I'mma have to take you to prison," he states, making sure that the girl understood that much. He couldn't just take her word-er-dance for it. A nod and the man offers his fist in comraderie. She bumps it with her smaller one, and he welcomes the warmth he feels from her heart at the contact.

"The Name's Killer Bee!" he states but the girl waves it off. In their 'battle', if you could call it that, she felt Gaara's beast call out for something in the male and she knew then he was jinguriki, her heiress studies let her know that he was, specifically, the eight tailes.

If she ever got to speak with him, she'd call him 'Octo-bro!' It was fitting!

She points to her sunset eyes, and Bee gets it on the first try. "Yuyake?" he guesses and she nods "Well, yuya-k, there will be other ninja that meet us on the way, ok?" he informs in song, and she nods. With the understanding in place, they head for the Raikage's quarters.

Something about the first step she takes loosens her muscles. There's a new gentleness in her heart and a joyous little tingle in her stomach.

For all of five seconds.

As the girl walks past the mounds of earth, one implodes violantly. "Yuyake!" she hears Bee speak for her, but she's trapped by the weight of an unassuming rock with her face stuck in the dirt.

"You don't know when to quit,". . . That's not rubble...

No, the foot of the enraged masked man is what holds her head down and his weight on her back does the rest.

 _"Octo-bro! Help! he's back!"_ but Killer Bee can't seem to find them in the airborne dirt. Ninjas are converging but the man's pocket dimension swallows them up before the dust is soothed by gravity.

 _"No!"_

Yuyake feels defeated when the light is devoured and the dirt is replaced by the unknown material of the blocks. So close! So close... she drops her face flat against the flooring and leaves it there to rot. the weight on her shifts and the foot is on her back while her arms are held by the masked man.

"You will learn discipline." she hears and the tug on her limbs increases in forcefulness. It's diliberatly slow, the way he draws back further and further with his weight and strength, pulling as much of her along as her anatomy would allow. She tries to numb her self, but the battle has taken too much from her.

Soon, the thick pop of her unhinging joints drowns her ears and floods her eyes. Her mouth opens, but no voice reaches out for help or begs for mercy. He drop the limbs like broken toys and busies himself with others: her legs.

He's just as slow, but this time he makes her suffer, he makes his way down, starting with the hip, then the knee, then the foot. _POP!_ _POP_ _!_ _ **POP**_ _!_ He enjoys it so much that he repeats the process with her other leg and each time there's a hiss of air that leaves her lips, so desparate to make sound.

Her torso squirms but it only makes it worse. He overlaps her wrists, and pins them in place with his foot. A rod bursts out his palm with an edge so sharp. Yuyake keeps her head down, trying hard to accept her punishment rather than beg for mercy and pledge her loyalty. That's fine to the man; he wouldn't have spared her anyway. He damns her feet and hands to the same treatment, a rod pinning them to the ground, and then he steps back to review his handy work.

Adding the rods stopped her squirming, now she shivers under her faults with unnatural lumps in her body.

Then he leaves her there.

He doesn't stay and watch her. No, that would give her something to focus on. So he leaves and isolates her with her pain, staring at the ground with eyes wide.

It feels like she's there for hours in a cloud that suficates her senses. Her logical thoughts are forbidden from the land of her mind, and all she knows is pain. Eventually, some of her mental words slip in, but they just run around her screaming at her state.

 _"I'm sorry!"_ they shout to someone who isn't listening. _"I wont do it again! Please! I'm sorry!"_ and they help not. She squirms to jolt her bones back right, but her joints just slide around, cracking and popping grotesquely. She wiggles to get her hands from around the rod, but they sink their fangs into her and croak about how she got what she deserved and how she shouldn't have disobeyed.

Yuyake becomes desparate. Her eyes wave, searching for an entity that doesn't exist here. How was she supposed to get out of this? She needs help! She can't do this alone!

 _"Help! Someone help me!"_ but mental words are nothing...

Why?

Why did she defy him like that? Why did she anger him like that?! There was no way she could beat him! And escaping has always been futile, if it weren't, she wouldn't have been here in the first place. There was nothing she could do!

 _CRACK!_

He was stronger than her!

 _CRACK!_

He was faster than her!

 _ **CRACK**_ _!_

Did she really think her stupid plan would work? Did she really think she was good enough to outsmart someone like him? Why was she even trying to run away? He hadn't done anything bad to her or her loved ones. Heck, he'd helped her to develop a Bokuso-chi skill! And even after this fiasco, he was _still_ going to train her! To make her stronger!

How foolish of her.

Maybe she did deserve this...

"Have you figured it out?"

Her neck cranes to look at the man before her. He has that tilt of the head to his posture. He bent at his knees to shorten the gap between their faces, and she is staring directly into his Sharingan eye.

When did he return?

"Have you finally figured out how much of a fool you've been? How broken you are? How I've chosen you, of all people, to train, to strengthen? That I've done nothing more but tried to fulfilled your dreams of strength? I've given you the tools you need to protect your family, your friends; the ability to vanquish many foe, and yet all I ask is that you lend me the strength I give you when I need it."

He reachs forward and takes hold her hair, pulling back her head to the point it agitates the rest of her body. Good, He sees it, deep in those ombre pools.

She's breaking.

"Are you ready to be fixed?"

Shock. it fills her so quickly that she almost jolts.

She... needed to be fixed?

"Of course you do, look how weak you are," he answers her like they have a connection. like they think alike.

Like they _are_ the same.

The heiress nods, because she is. She is ready to be fixed, ready to help her family.

Yuyake.

Ready to be strong.

"Good"

Yuyake.

She had done it; she had admitted her problem. She understood that she was broken and weak, and she could let friends fix her, but they would give her scars and a death she can't control; she could let family fix her, but that would get her the neglection she'd had since her father's death. Yes, She could try, but trying has only hurt her.

Only he could truly fix her.

And he would.

The masked man pulls the rods from her flesh and surveys the tear in her skin. As he expected. She'd need help...Troublesome child.

At least she had shown him another useful trait.

The masked man lifts the girl, tucking her under his arm as he exists the world once more.

 **~X~**

Gaara looks around. She is here. The darkness he'd been in had faded to a scenery of endless sand dunes and cherry blossom trees.

What an interesting combination...

He looks around for the girl who he built this world with, and she's laying down. The thick, long curtain that is her hair is drapping behind her, and she's curled up into a loose ball.

Huh, he might as well go get her.

So he does, walking with one foot in front of the other, chest out, shoulders back, light smile upon his lips. Despite their connection and his progress, Gaara was certain to keep his emotions off his face. Sure, his lips would gain a light bend when he was pleased, and his-

His eyes widened.

What's that?

He widens his strides as he gets closer, and the closer he gets, the more he feels something curl into his thoat.

Are those cracks in her skin?

He makes haste, adding a slight bound in his movements, subconsiously producing as much noise as he can, because the stillness of her frame is worrying. But she doesn't so much as flinch. He gets even closer, and his chest pounds, hammering dread and weary into his vains.

Why does she have cracks? She shouldn't have cracks! Sure, he got cracks, but she wasn't like him; she _couldn't_ be like him.

But she is.

The cuts are deep and clean and defy everything Gaara says with their existence. He stops beside her, kicking up sand onto them both, and turning her over into his grasp.

She looks like a poreclain doll that someone struck with a hammer...

In the head.

He squeezes her arm, but gently, she's already on the verge of falling apart. All her brilliance and shine is gone, like a once glorious city, ravished and ruined. It was like her captor had usurped her citadel, laying waste to her rational mind and plundering her innocence. The only radiants left in her is a fire that's burning down her crops of resolve.

What happened? What did that man do?

Damn. Gaara tried reaching her while she was awake! Her intense emotions had been enough to call for him, but when he called back, she didn't answer.

"Yuyake" even now, he called and got no answer.

He couldn't let her fighting spirit die, to do so would be handing her over to the enemy to do with what he wished.

That couldn't happen.

But how does one help? Gaara's never done something as complex as reviving one's phsyce, how was he expected to do it now?

He isn't sure...

Sea foam blue flares over the broken girl once more, and his eyes are snagged by the marking on her chest. The bond they share. Maybe it could help? It was a long shot, but it seemed to be the answer to a lot of things it shouldn't be.

Gaara ponders how to approach the bond, because it is not the 'Body' that needs help, instead it is purely the 'Mind'. So a pale hand is gently placed upon the the blackened flesh of her chest. And as if instinctial, his eyes slide shut.

. . .

There is silence.

A hand slides down her pastures before it stops, molding into the divot of her waist. His other travels to her face, steadying her head so that he may aline his own to hers.

He connects to her, and Gaara's steady thoughts are like water and it clears the flames in her resilliance. He doesn't stop there, though; instead he dives deeper, reinviting her thoughts and rebuilding her confidence. It is all salvaged: power has been restored and the lights come back on, returning the brightness to her eyes.

She was back, and the first thing she does is touch him.

Her hand lifts and taps its digits ever so slightly on the boy's flesh, and the contact seems to rally a breeze about them. Her head sustains itself and presses back into him and Gaara watches her cracks seal themselves ever so slowly.

Their hair mixes, and the gust strengthens; it's a choreographer that conducts their clothes and hair as examples before rallying the bloosoms and sand to follow their lead. Soon, the flowers and grains are independent, twisting and twirling, spinning and sliding, and they are lost to reality; In their minds they are alone and the world is their ballroom, the sky is their dance floor, the air is their music, and the beat of two hearts is a metronome.

It is perfect solidtude.

Gaa...ra, she speaks the way this place lets her, and he presses their heads even closer together. They touch: their noses, their foreheads, their eyeleshes, and they merge into one.

They don't need to talk.

Then, her eyes focus, having been dazed before, and they're met with the vibrant blue of her savior.

 _TH-THUMP!_

Her heat jumps.

And it scares her, but the emotion in his eyes makes her chest tingle and the luscious red of his hair causes her organ to flutter.

 _TH-THUMP!_

The adorable mark of 'love' on his skin fills her with hope and the perfect angle of his chin cause her parts to excite.

 _TH-THUMP!_

Her blood bakes her from the inside and her hands joins his on her waist and cheek. There's a moment as she settles.

 _TH-THUMP!_

She also notices she's begun to sweat.

Oh crap! Could they smell in this dream? Yuyake inwardly freaks, ripping her eyes from him as she pulls his hands from her person and moves to sit a friendly 2 feet away.

. . .

Ah yes, the never wanted awkward silence.

"Are you alright?" he dismisses the unwanted presence.

A nod.

Yuyake rests her eyes upon her thighs as her hand plays in the un-shaved half of her hair. Why was she being stupid about this? Her and Gaara have always done the whole 'bond of one' thing...

Gaara crosses his arms. Yuyake looks around them and the boy feels her words instinctially. "Yes, I thought the same, the mix of the blossoms and sand is appealing..." he agrees. She smiles and rubs at her hands. She wants to take a whiff under her pits to assess the damage, but not in front of him... Sure, she'd do it in front of Shika, Sasuke, or Naruto... but what if it made Gaara think she was weird?

She was being ridiculous. She takes some of her hair and tucks it behind her ear. Oh, but what if doing that made her face look fat? She takes the hair out and fingers it to properly frame half of her face.

Why was she so awkward?

* * *

 **Hello! Please Comment! I would love to here your grey matter!**


	25. The Help We Don't Want

**A/N: I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR NO UPLOADING FOR A WHILE, SO I HAVE 3 CHAPTERS UPLOADING TODAY. THIS IS (1/3)**

* * *

 **PREVIOUSLY**

She's being ridiculous. She takes some of her hair and tucks it behind her ear. Oh, but what if doing that makes her face look fat? She takes the hair out and fingers it to properly frame half of her face.

Why is she so awkward?

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 25: The help we don't want**

Slowly, sunset eyes creak open to re-invite their master to reality.

Pain fades quickly into her senses... mostly in her joints though, for obvious reasons. Gosh... they're pulsing in her ears...

Yuyake half-exposes her eyes, the light not fully welcomed yet.

Cold... That's how she feels right now, at least towards her head. If she guesses, Yuya would say chilling packs are placed on her shoulder to deter swelling. Her arms feel like they've been shoved into slings, and her feet feel like they're stuffed into casts. Her legs also have been raised on top two mountains of pillows. Probably to relieve weight.

...

Where is she?

Young eyes slide around.

She couldn't really see anything besides the ceiling...

Turning her head to the left, she sees... a wall.

Well that is anticlimactic... What about the other side?

 _PULSE! PULSE!_

There are people in the room with her.

How had she not noticed before?

She rolls her head that way and sees a room, not too big, there's counters and floor tile as well as some shiny metal objects that she can't really name. Though there is one she can name, and it's also the closest one to her: An IV. Looking down at her arm, Yuya sees she's not actually hooked up to it, though she should have known because the bag is empty and looks like it has been for a while.

Stretching her gaze further out, the chocolate heiress sees her fellow occupants. There are two, and they sit across each other like mirrors, displaying the same troubles but with different means of coping with it. One chooses to hide his physique, his body draped in a cloak like the mask man's and his face covered by a head dress, Yuyake can only tell he's tan by the sliver of flesh around his blood shot green eyes and the skin on his hands. He seems to have been slouching into a bingo book for a good catch.

The other exposes not only his face and silver hair, but also his chest as his cloak is open, his eyes are a dusty red and his weapon, a three blade scythe, is in his lap. He seems to have been meditating. But while they are opposites in many ways, they are also very similar. For example, they both sat cross legged, and they both had their heads turned towards little Yuyake.

. . .

"About goddamn time,"

It's the open one who breaks the silence. Not too long after, the covered up one puts up his book, getting to his feet and heading over to the ebony kunoichi. Instinctively, Yuyake tensed, but it's a mistake as her joints burn her in retribution.

Ow.

Yuyake aligns her eyes with the green ones of the man now towering over her, but he does not stare back. No, he is going over her body and assessing the damage, but judging by how quickly he does it, Yuyake believes he's done it before.

"Hurry up Kakkazu, we almost had the two tails." the silver haired vocalizes, but his words are like a downward gear shift. Yuayke can see the man over her, Kakkazu, slow in his check of her; he becomes more thorough in his search of injuries, even though his mind has clearly wandered.

"Your joints are swollen but properly set, they'll be sore for a few weeks," Kakkazu speaks behind his coverings. His hand reaches for her arm before he carefully raises the girl's palm to her face. In the center is a cut, probably from those rods, that has been sewn up.

Yuyake frowns.

That didn't look like conventional medical stitches.

What _is_ that?

"I have been informed that you can heal yourself, but you wont be able to move your arms for a while, so I was instructed to close the holes in your hands and feet, as well as properly reset your body" Kakkazu starts. "Your arms will have to be in those slings for a while. Your knees are fine; it was just your knee cap, so those are already healed. The biggest problems will be your feet." He pauses, green eyes looking towards the elevated limbs. "It's a Lisfranc dislocation. You will start theraphy soon, but your overall recovery time is expected to be about six months without healing," he finishes, but still he seems to check for more, nonexistent, wounds.

Silence refills the room, but it is not alone, with it is a simmering rage that no doubt belongs to the ostracized occupant of the room. Yuyake looks from the one over her to the one with silver hair as he gets up from his spot.

"Now you're just moving slowly to piss me off; you told her what you were supposed to," he comes to stand by his partner. Yuyake frowns when the two men's bodies are wide enough to drown her view in that black sky with red clouds.

In any other case, the girl would have thought the pattern cool-looking, but knowing that they go after people like Naruto and Gaara kicks dirt on the insignia, mucking it up to be the sign of the enemy.

Yuyake drags her gaze up to look the unnamed male in his eyes. She curls her lip and smushes her nose to display her disgust, but she slips. She meant merely to glare at the man's surface, but it's thinner than she expects and she falls into his pools.

The murky red drowns her, its wave current downward and pulling her further in despite her attempt to escape. The red liquid burrows down her throat but it fills her not with his life .Instead, she sees a man who's seen death more times than he's seen the Sun and greets the entity like an old friend, but it owes this man something. Something important. Necessary, Something so fundamental it surprises the girl he can still function without.

Death.

He wanted to die.

It's so obvious yet melancholy.

 _"No_!"

Yuyake claws out of his eyes, ripping herself from his slimy, dead pond and rushing back to her shelter, drying herself off in the warmth of her mind. Her brow sinks. A clear display of her new anger.

How dare this man?

He dragged her into his mind and forced open her own flood gates, merely on a whim. He didn't deserve her attention, her story, her struggle. Who does he think he is? He isn't Naruto! He isn't Sasuke! And he sure as hell isn't Gaara.

A shiver. She feels dirty- irredeemably so! - he has tracked mud into her; stomping the liquid dirt into stains and rubbing his filthy palms across ever surface he could touch. He's rough and defiles her most beautiful ritual if mind connection...

Only he didn't..

He was gentle when he entered her psychic. He was mindful of any fragility within her mind; careful to clean himself carefully before coming in. He didn't even really force himself in. Once she slipped past his defenses, it left her gates without guards and he simply wandered in... But still she frowns.

It is while she is glaring, that Yuyake notices the silver haired man is still diving in to her, and the lack of consent makes her feel violated. She forces him out, she thickens her depths so that he cannot move any deeper, and rips her head to the side to fling him out.

The nerve of him.

But he drags her back.

He takes hold of her head and pulls her back around. She grimaces. Just kicking him out wont stop him from entering, she must show him that there is nothing else for him there, nothing else in _her_ for him. So she does. She attempts to erase what ever it is he sees by masking her emotions and draining her waters.

But it's no use; He still sees it.

A mirror.

It reflects things in high definition, and it is in this mirror he sees it: his most prominent struggle, and his greatest dilemma; his cry for life's end. But it is the sunset tinge on the glass that tells him that his struggle is completely his own. She does not wrestle the same demon or suffocate with the same thoughts, but that's not what interested him anyway. No, it is the fact this girl- a girl he has never seen before- now is able to repeat his anguish to him, verbatim like she knows his pain.

She _feels_ his pain.

This fact spawns questions in his head.

Is she a believer?

Surely she couldn't be, she wore no symbols nor held any immortal life.

But still! But _still_!

She part takes in the pain of others! He could tell! Buried in her eyes are the stories of many, some she met in passing, others she found, some she killed, and more she knows. They are all there and, ever so slowly, they are eating her.

But not her body, her mind.

Much like his methods wear on his form.

His fingers dig into her cheeks.

This girl... She is his opposite.

Where he inflicts pain upon his own body to share, she absorbs pre-existing pain from the mind, where he destroys others, she destroys herself; where he is a believer, she is ignorant; where he is immortal, she is finite, where he is male, she is female; where he is old, she is young.

It is like he is glass and she is water; two things that seems similar on the surface- both reflective, both clear- they are actually very different.

Glass is rigid and can make you bleed, while water flows but can make you suffer.

...

Despite all this, the silver haired man is unsure how to proceed...

She is his opposite, that was established, but what is he meant to do with her?

One one hand, he could take her under the wings of his Lord Jashin and together they would be a perfect force of destruction, as the Body and mind of Jashin himself.

On the other hand, she could be an antithesis, meant only to undo the greatness that is Jashin's teachings and bring upon the end of the world.

But which one?

. . .

Outside the cloud of funk that is his confusion and the girl's disgust, Kakkazu is witnessing the weird... bonding-not-bonding, that is the interaction between these two.

He looks from the face of his partner, who seems to have had an epiphany, but is unsure what to do with his enlightenment. Meanwhile, the girl seems to be feeling bad for the religious man while simultaneously managing to feel disgusted and defiled by him.

It is quite odd.

The room is buzzing with quiet thought, and eventually the outcast turns to his partner. Whether it is out of pity for the child or simply to spite the male, Kakkazu speaks:

"Hidan, go inform Leader that she is awake,"

Dusty red eyes rip from the sunset, and Yuyake takes a deep breath, as if the eye contact had been allowing Hidan to steal her air.

"What? Why can't you do it?" the Jashinist frowns.

"Because I told you to do it," Kakkazu deflects.

...

There's a short moment Hidan spends, standing there. He flickers his eyes down at the girl in his grasp, and he scoffs. "Whatever" he tosses Yuyake's head back down onto her pillow. The tall man then turns and leaves out the room, sliding the door shut behind him.

It is when Hidan leaves that Yuyake realizes the room, if not the building, is made of a material that is impenetrable by brainwaves.

Great, that puts her at a disadvantage already...

She turns the Kakkazu, and is conflicted for a moment. She wishes to show gratitude for sending his partner away, even if he hadn't done it for her sake, but she worries that showing such an emotion could cause him to feel she is in debt to him. So she holds off.

Instead, she focuses on her body.

She can tell right away that her joints are royally screwed, but not all of them, luckily. Only the ones the masked man toyed with, so her shoulders, knees, and ankles.

It could be worse.

She also had the holes in her palms and feet.

Perhaps she should start there.

In quivering movements, the Bokuso-chi pulls her arms from beneath the covers. She pressed injured palm to injured palm, and allowed her hands to rest on her gut.

Confidently, she moves through hand signals, and notices Kakkazu watching; probably encase she turned hostile, but he had nothing to fear; this technique was meant to strength the innate regenerative abilities of humans.

 _ **. . .!**_

Kakkazu watches as the girl gains a harmless gold outline. He hears a hum. Then it clicks: the girl's Chakra.

Chakra isn't usually visible, but when it is, it usually produces a sort of sound. Apparently hers hums. Kakkazu wonders why it hadn't shocked him to see her chakra in the first place, but he concludes he's probably just level-headed.

Suddenly, the girl gasps and disbands the jutsu, killing that glow of hers and emptying the room of any sound. What happened? He studies her expression. It looks like she was just told terrible news.

Weird.

What ever it was, it stopped her from continuing the jutsu, which is weird, because he is certain that the technique was meant for healing. Oh well...

...

...

..

.

 _Kakkazu_.

Said S-rank shinobi perked up as his head filled with the voice of the Leader. He did not need to respond.

 _I have been informed that the girl has woken up. I wish to speak with her, has she healed?_

"No, she began to, but something stopped her," Green eyes to the pale blue wall on the other side of Yuyake. Said girl jolts at the man's voice, unaware of whom he was conversing with.

 _I see. I do not wish to wait, place your ring upon her._

Kakkazu lifts his hand, the motion snagging Yuyake's attention again. Who in the world was he talking to? What was he doing? Should she be preparing to fight? So many questions!

The heiress watches the criminal pull off the ring that has been on his finger. He holds it in his hand while his left reaches down for her arm. What the heck was he doing? Yuyake clinches her fist, but it is no use, his thumb jabs in her wrist, causing her curled fingers to slacken. He peels a digit back and slides the jewelry on her tiny index and he lets her go.

The something goes wrong.

She rips from him; Sunset eyes open wide as brown fingers dig holes into the bedding. It hurts! It feels like she has a stereo in her brain and someone's messing with it. They're trying to find the right frequency, waving through the channels. Her ear drums tighten as if they are inflating from the inside and every part of her brain is pulsing painfully at individual rates. Her mouth rips open in a gasp.

 _ **BoKUsO-cHI.**_

Yuyake tries hard to be strong and be still, but trying isn't enough. Her torso explodes into a fit of convulsions. It swings her arms, reaching for help that isn't there and jolts her legs, kicking at an enemy that is too far. Her head rises and slams and the cushion of the bed felt harder than concrete. Saliva gathers in her throat as all she can do is exhale in a scream that has no octaves; she's gargling. The sound of the beckoning was enough to make her suicidal and the added pain from her abused joints helped not.

Never before had she hated her name so much!

She's lost; her rational mind is being incinerated, and she feels cornered, so she is lashing out.

Even though it's only making everything worse.

Finally, some inkling of a thought screams above the voice and all its static to command her body:

 _"Get rid of that FUCKING RING!"_

And she does, somewhere, hands meet and the loose silver is ripped off and flung it at the far wall, only to be caught by its owner. Kakkazu stares, interested in the turn of events.

What had that been about.

Yuyake is sitting up now; her chest fighting her with every breath and her joints punishing her for every movement. Her body is stinky and sickened with sweat and her gaze is wild and forward.

Then she turns to Kakkazu with a look of incredulous on her face.

What the heck was that for?!

But he is uncaring, and unmovable, like a rock.

Whatever...

Yuyake blinks slowly, feeling something drop onto her hand. What was that?

Was she bleeding?

No, this liquid is clear and light, and the heiress is sure that if she were to take a taste, it would be salty. Wow... was she really crying?

It's been a while since that happened. Sure, sometimes her eyes watered, but it was rare the tears actually fall. She surveys herself a bit more and finds that there's a trail of drool going down her neck. Nasty...Yuya isn't too surprised, though, she doesn't think she's ever been in that much pain before...

Heck, her brain was still pulsating.

Taking a deep breath, Yuya eases herself back onto the bed with the help of a tan hand. It's twin takes a damp towel and cleans her face, for which the child is grateful.

"Something happened,"

Yuyake shot her eyes to Kakkazu. He was talking to... someone. If she had to guess, it was who ever that voice from earlier belonged to... the voice that blared in her head. She frowns when the man besides her is un-phased by the ring's speaking abilities.

Why didn't it hurt him?

Maybe a better question would be why did it hurt her?

Whatever... she didn't want their stupid ring talk anyway...

Yuyake perks up. Whoa! What if the Bokuso-chi could do something like that? Maybe use a ring or something as an intermediate, that way they could talk to anyone without worrying about being hurt or over taken by another's brainwaves...

Hmm...

"Understood" Kakkazu turns to the door just as it slides open.

"Alright, Sir," Hidan reenters the room, apparently talking to the same Lord of the ring. He didn't seem to be in pain either.

So it really is her...

"I don't understand why you couldn't do it, Kakkazu. I mean, you're standing right there," Hidan rants, bending over Yuyake. The girl flinches at the proximity but the immortal cares not as he buries one arm under her knees and wraps his other around the back of her shoulders. He lifts her up with such ease, but his choice of holds puts strain on Yuya's knees, and feet, causing her to wince.

Yuyake gives Kakkazu a quizzical gaze, but he ignores it, walking ahead of them to open the door leading out the room. The Bokuso-chi then turns her question to Hidan, but he doesn't respond either.

Yuya frowns, a burning fire in her eyes. The nerve!

Never before had she been so bluntly ignored!

It was quite frustrating! Does everyone get this frustrated when they're ignored. Geeze! She supposed she had been spoiled all her life, probably because of her disability. Most people, even when they couldn't understand what it was she was trying to say, gave it a shot, at least. And usually they guess right!

It isn't that hard...

These two were just being douches!

Kakkazu did, indeed, ignore her. He felt she had enough information to guess where it was they were going. As a ninja she should be trying to assess possible answers for herself, instead of getting uptight because two strangers, who were criminals, decided not to answer her.

Really, it was silly.

But that being said, why was she even here?

Leader made it relatively clear that a replacement for Orochimaru was very much unnecessary. So she clearly wasn't meant to be a member.

Then again, he could have changed his mind.

Maybe he saw the young Kunoichi with brown skin and brilliant eyes who had visible chakra that hummed and thought she was worth it...

Meanwhile, Hidan was on a similar topic in his own mind. See, the Jashinist already believed the child was the new tenth, but his question was who brought her in?

He tried figuring it out a few ways, but he couldn't really solidify an answer.

Her injuries are weird: holes in her palms and most of her joints dislocated.

If it had been Deidara, the joints could make sense, but she would have smelled more like burned earth. She also would have been more scuffed up, probably with a broken bone. Furthermore the holes in her hand didn't make sense.

If it were Sasori, the lack of major damage made sense, especially if he wanted to make a puppet, but dislocating her joints? He didn't know, maybe it could be him.

Itachi would have done some sort of Genjutsu; Kisame would have left more gashes rather than holes; He knew he nor Kakkazu had done it; Zetsu was Zetsu; Pain... maybe? The Holes seemed like it could be him, but the dislocation? Maybe the Almighty push could have done that, but the minimal damage leaves the immortal skeptical.

Actually, who was to say this brat was even a member. Leader usually informs everyone about potentials, but she hasn't come up in a single meeting. Heck, even when she was brought in they weren't told anything about her! Which, now that the immortal thought about it, was a risky move. Sure, the two Akatsuki members could handle themselves easily against some leaf brat, but why even take that risk? What if she decided to fight despite her injuries?

 _I still require Your assistance, Hidan._

The silver haired man presses his fingers to his temple as he responds, "Ok, sir," he looks down at the child in his arms, who has already craned her neck to investigate his response, and Hidan sees those eyes again. It makes his gut knot up, whether pleasantly or disgustingly, he's not sure. All he knew was he was ready to have the child removed from hs presence. He was hoping to be relieved of his current duty as soon as they reached the room, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Great.

"Come in"

Yuyake jumps, but only inwardly. She didn't like this, usually she knows who is in a room way before she enters, but the material of the walls here blind her third eye, damning her to ignorance. Now the occupant of the room knew about her arrival before she knew theirs, and she is uncomfortable. She understands there is hypocrisy in the emotion, but can't help it. So many questions were on her mind: How many? How hostile?Was she walking into her death? A painful investigation? Was the voice that just called out to her the one she heard through the ring?

It was harder than expected to answer that last question, because it sounded nothing like that in her head. Why? She wasn't sure. Perhaps she just forgot what it sounded like. Or perhaps it wasn't him. Maybe it had been too distorted by... whatever it was distorted by...

...Brain interference?

Maybe the rings alarmed the man of everyone's position?

It was possible...

Maybe he studied the Bokuso-chi? Maybe he has his own power that grants him such abilities? Who knew.

And who was this man? Yuyake had ignorantly assumed that the leader and the man with the mask were one in the same, but the voice she just heard was definitely not him. So who was he to this organisation? Did he have a ring? She certainly hadn't noticed it before if he did. If he wasn't the leader, that decreases the possibility he's in that room.

that last assumption alone is enough to soothe her tense shoulders, but only a bit. While it was nice to be away from him. Being with him had its own, though flimsy, sense of security around it. In their time together, he's become less and less like a criminal to her, and more like a tentative parent. It is always 'No, not like that, like this' or 'Don't eat that, it's bad for you' and 'you shouldn't be hanging out with that Kyuubi boy or that Uchiha brat' or 'Go to sleep, you need your rest'.

Ok, Yuya was paraphrasing, but that's what he'd say, in a nutshell.

She supposed what she was trying to say was that she had gotten comfortable. And that was bad. He probably knew that too, that maybe why he decided to punish her so. He had to reset her familial tie to him that was growing stronger with each meal and destroy her sense of safety she had after so much training; he had to completely redefine what it was he had come to stand for in her mind, because what ever it was, it was not quite a treat. And that isn't good, because non-threats are tested and he did not want to be tested.

Only that didn't quite make sense...

It would bode well for him to get her attached to him, while seeing one as a threat is effective, it eventually wears thin, only ties of camaraderie and family tend to withstand long periods of time, and certainly he knew that. As calculating as the man comes off, it was positive that he would know such a fact, yet here he was, destroying it along with her joints.

So why?

Why reset it all? Why turn back the clock so far?

The answer flies into her face, but she swats it away, because she is certain that it is wrong. She doesn't even want to let the thought form. But it does.

He wasn't resetting as a way to remind her what he was; it was meant to remind himself who s _he_ was.

But that can't be right.

The three walk into a darkness so dense; it swallows them. Yuyake opens her eyes wider to find the ends of the lightlessness, but it seems to stretch beyond her reach and even further, making them nothing more than three grains of rice of the black tongue of a giant. The door swings closed behinds them, further distorting their sense of the room around them, and Yuyake has never felt so exposed.

Who was all here?

 _PULSE! PULSE!_

Besides her, Hidan, and Kakkazu, there are two others in this room, one in front of her, and one behind. The chocolate kunoichi blinks rapidly to adjust herself accordingly, but one cannot adjust themselves to black.

So she is stuck.

But they help her out.

Two sets of eyes part, and it is supernatural the way they create light that cannot be shared. One set is nothing but infinite layers of purple and her studies strike her with the name 'Rinnegan', the other set is far more feminine in its slant and those eyes are a striking amber.

"What happened with the ring?" the Rinnegan tilts his eyes to the side, some how finding her sunsets. Are her eyes doing the same thing as them? That's odd... though the more she feels out the area the more she feels it in air. It's thick and sticky with Chakra, clinging to every piece of light and dragging to the floor.

Kakkazu reports her fit from earlier, and this man seems pleased, then the Jashinsts reports his 'findings' as well, but he does it so vaguely, merely relaying:

"She's a mirror,"

"Understood, thank you two, you are dismissed, Konan" the man speaks, beckoning who Yuyake can only assume is a woman behinds him.

"Yes, I will take on her weight," the amber eyes, Konan seems to shift and simultaneously the sound of flipping paper is close to Yuyake's ears. Slowly, she feels the warmth Hidan is lending to her fade into the chilly surface of developed papyrus.

There are steps, a door, and then their waves are no longer accessible to the mute.

Speaking or brainwaves, something was weird...

Yuyake narrows her eyes as the darkness begins to soften. She felt two sets of brainwaves. One set is behind her, a bit higher up, and undeniably familiar, the second set is amber of the eyes she saw, and that set in front of her.

So why were there two people standing before her?

Yuyake frowns as they come more into sight. The darkness settles into a dim lighting, and she is certain now that she is looking at two different people. The one with the purple rings had spikes of orange for hair and a lot of piercing on his ears, some on his nose and a couple on his lower lip. His look is rather simplistic but definitely notebook worthy; the woman has short blue hair, most down and a little ponytail, she has a paper rose in her hair. The way she dressed was... alright, not as cool compared to her boss here.

Now, back to the more important question: Why doesn't this leader guy have any brainwaves?

...

He couldn't be dead, could he?

"Why do you think it is the ring doesn't work?" Konan turned her eyes up toward the bloody mist. Yuyake twists her neck to regard the masked man, he is sitting on one of the many structures that protrudes out the walls. Yuyake levels her gaze with the eye-hole of his mask; it's empty right now.

"The rings are calibrated to Nagato, which would have been fine if she were younger, but her brain frequency has changed, quickened, probably. While Bokuso-chi can calibrate their brainwaves accordingly, _they_ must do it. Your ring essentially tried to force her mind to change." he pauses in his explanation, looking up to his Akatsuki acquaintances.

"Though she may not look it; I'm certain that if she had kept that ring on, it would have caused her brain to shut down, rendering her brain dead," his sharingan gleams pridefully as he slides down to join them on the ground.

Yuyake sighs, of course she almost died. Geeze, why was everything so life and death? It seems like she's always unstable as she walks on the tight rope between the two. At some point of her life, Yuya is certain she began sprinting on the narrow wire.

She shrugs to accentuate her nonchalance for her safety, earning her a chuckle from the masked man as he approach her.

Nice to know her recklessness amused someone.

Yuyake sighs, her mother would have been freaking out...

The man's proximity, for some odd reason, made Yuya want to look down at her form, and it's as she suspected. The back of her body was smothered in paper that was some how strong enough to levitate her above ground. Now that she noticed it, she also noticed that the papers don't breathe, causing her body to drown in its heat.

And now she was feeling awkward again.

She needed a distraction.

A brown digit points to Pein, who is stoic and un-moving like the corpse Yuyake thinks he is. then she points to her head. The masked man nods:

"Yes, he is a corpse,"

Yuyake shakes her head. She figured that out already, there was no way he could block his brainwaves from her, it's just not a thing that can be blocked. But that wasn't what she was asking, she points to Pein again and then to her head, but more specifically, her ears.

Oh... The man with the orange mask looks between the red head and the mute. He understood now; She wanted to get piercing too, huh?

"No"

Yuyake frowned, her face was a mixture of anger and bewilderment. What did he mean 'no'? Huh!? It was her body! He couldn't tell her what to do with it! Besides, he wasn't her dad! And to top it off, she was...

She... was...

How old was she?

14? 15 maybe?

She's 15? Huh, apparently her birthday was just celebrated back at leaf village.

Gaara doesn't stay long in their mind, apparently busy with the mission he's currently on. Still, it is nice of him to drop by and answer her question!

While the heiress is busy in her mind, the adults have a quick chat.

"Just who is this, Madara, You haven't mentioned any new members, and you pulled my men from their mission just to attend to her, she must be important," Pein confronts his ally.

The masked man, Madara, has his arms crossed as he looks over to the mute kunoichi. He really needed to teach her to pay attention. Just look at her! She's in a room with dangerous criminals, none of which are her allies, she's injured and she's being held in the air by one of them, and what does she do? Retreat into her lala land! Honestly...

And she wanted to get piercings.

He turns back to his companions, "Her name is Yuyake, Bokuso-chi," he was going to have to tell them eventually, if he planned to use the child. "She's their heiress," he states. Pein looks just as stoic, if not more so, by the announcement. He thought he'd recognize the name, but he doesn't.

"She is not meant to be an actual member, more like," he looks to the ceiling for the answer, and it is there he finds it, "A consultant," he states. "I'll be leaving her here to recover, besides, there are other matters I must attend to,"

"How will she be useful," Konan speaks up, because if they are going to be spending time and resources to keep this child, she better darn well be worth it. And a 'consultant' isn't really what the group needs right now.

"It's like Hidan said: she is a mirror," and like that, Madara is gone.

His disappearance reawakens Yuyake and she perks up, looking at the remaining two.

Did he just leave her?


	26. What She's Worth

**A/N: I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR NO UPLOADING FOR A WHILE, SO I HAVE 3 CHAPTERS UPLOADING TODAY. THIS IS (2/3)**

* * *

 **PREVIOUSLY**

"It's like Hidan said, she is a mirror," and like that, Madara is gone.

His disappearance reawakens Yuyake and she perks up, looking at the remaining two.

Did he just leave her?

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 26: What she's worth**

Yuyake likes Pein.

She doesn't see him as often as Konan, but the few times she does, she enjoys his company.

He doesn't do anything special when he comes around, it's just something about his demeanor, or maybe it is the epic piercings he has.

Man did Yuya want her ears like his. He just looks so cool! From his orange hair to his ringed eyes, and, unlike everyone else, he doesn't just wear the Akatsuki cloak. Pein looks as if he was born in it and for it.

Yuyake actually can't imagine him wearing anything else, even if she tries.

When her arms heal up, she'll make it her priority to draw him.

Konan too...

Speaking of the woman, she seems to really be Pein's opposite; she seems to distaste Yuyake's presence and makes it kind of known when she's around... The woman would stare, which Yuyake did too, but Konan's ambers were narrowed, her brow pulled down, and she never took her eyes off the Bokuso-chi.

It was creepy.

Luckily, she isn't here at the moment.

No one is really.

Yuyake looks around the care unit. She's done this a thousand times since she got here, and it's only been a week... She sighs, laying down all the time is hard. Harder than she expected it to be, at least, mostly because she's starting to get pain in her side.

...

Sleeping for long periods of time...

. . .

The topic reminds Yuyake of someone... Did she know someone who always slept? Maybe someone who sleeps more than usual people?

. . .

...

..

.

 _"Shikamaru!"_

Yuyake jolts at the realization, and regrets it instantly when pain shoots through her joints.

How had she forgotten about Shikamaru? Her lazy buddy! She used to tangle pencils in his pony tail back in academy! She shakes her head. Shame on her. She wonders what he's up now.

Probably sleeping.

Yuyake smiles with a little giggle. That sounds about right. What's everyone else doing?

 _"Hmm... Hinata is probably training her shy lil tooshie off. Neji is probably helping... Sakrua. She's probably in pretty bad shape. She had such a profound crush on the Uchiha, sure, all the girls did when we were younger, but Sakura actually got to know the boy."_

Infactuation is only skin deep, and that's what all the other girls had for Sasuke, even Sakura at first. But she got to dive deeper, she got to see his darkest hours, know his horrific secrets, and she still loves him.

Yuyake turns her head to the side, taking an acute interest in the wall.

What's Shino doing?

 _"I'm pretty sure he had a thing for me,"_ Yuyake perks her lips as she thinks. She isn't an idiot. Something in the bug lover changed when she gave him that necklace... She needs to be more careful, she doesn't want to string anyone along. Since he might have formed a crush on her, Yuya wonders how he was taking this situation...

She perks up. If she had her arms available, she'd slap her own forehead.

 _"Why am I laying here guessing? Gaara has seen them more recently than I have!"_ She realizes.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

Gaara is in his room.

He hadn't been sleeping or anything, he just sometimes wanted the solitude of his own chambers while he sat with his arms and legs crossed. His blue eyes were straight ahead, and his attention was locked away into his mind.

Usually, at times like these, he'd meditate because doing so gave him some sort of relief from his sleep deprivation. Though, recently he hadn't felt the usual symptoms. No sleepiness, or irritability. It was nice, but he wonders where the illness went. Things like sleep deprivation don't just disappear.

Regardless, its absence has given him time to do things he hasn't in a while.

Like day dream.

Gaara?

The Sand ninja perked, his eyes refocusing as Yuyake enters their shared consciousness.

She wanted to know how everyone was doing back at the Leaf? He personally hadn't been there very recently... But he knew someone who had; he'd go ask her.

Gaara drapes his legs over the side of his bed before standing up on top them. He leaves the room and looks both ways down the hallways of the Kazekage mansion. He didn't see her. Then again, when the red head thought about it, why would she be in the mansion anyway? He allows his being to dissolve into grains of sand. Riding the wind, he slips though an open window in Konkuro's room.

The distinct hiss of the ocean's dirt alarms the puppeteer and he moves over to the window pane. "Gaara? Is that you? Where are you going?" he asks, but there is no response, forcing him to merely watch as his younger brother leaves out to do goodness-knows-what.

That kid...

Gaara solidifies on top a near by roof and he waves his head for any sight of his target, but she isn't very distinguishable among the folk of the sand. Well, Gaara isn't about to sit here looking for hours. At least not on foot.

A blue eye slides closed as his corresponding hand lifts up and presses the tips of his middle and index finger to his lips. His free hand raises and shows its palm to the beaming sky, allowing sand to gather within it. Slowly, it morphs and melts together to create an eye ball. Gaara tests out its sight a little before pushing it off into the village.

He is careful to keep the orb out of the sight of the public because they're easily frightened... And so he searches.

There!

He dissolves again, steering himself toward the sparring grounds where she is, and he appears to her in all his red head glory. She jumps lightly at his arrival but once she recognizes him, she stands up straight and presents herself to him.

Gaara opens his eyes to confirm the girl's short brown hair and dark eyes. He can't seem to remember her name right now, but he'd be sure to ask Temari when he saw her next.

"G-Gaara!" she smiles, a little redness in her cheeks. "What brings you here?" she straightens out her clothes.

Gosh, why did the attractive male have to appear to her now, or all times? She had been training! She was probably all sweaty and stinky and gross... taking a glance at those sea foam blue eyes makes her shudder happily. He didn't seem to mind one bit.

"You went to the village hidden in the leaves recently, correct?" He asks, and her brows raise before she nods. "Did you happen to hear anything about a Naruto Uzumaki?" he continues.

The girl deflates. She really wanted to be helpful to Gaara, but the name didn't ring a bell. Her sadness is on her features, and it makes Gaara nod simply. It was fine that she didn't know. It was a long shot that, out of all those that reside in the village, she would hear about the select few he had an interest in.

"Thank you," he dismisses himself, and he turns to depart, but she catches his attention.

"Wait! I remember! While I was at the Hokage's office, there was some girl with pink hair studying under Lady Tsunadae. She was talking to some guy with a spiky pony tail who kept yawning. She mentioned a Naruto, she was wondering if they could send for him, because he wasn't a chunnin, and he'd been gone since before the last exam," she smiles when the memory came back to her.

The nod Gaara gives brings a smile to her face and with another expression of gratitude, he left to a more secluded area.

He asks if she got all that information, and she has... though she wishes he asked someone else. Why? No reason...

Gaara mentally shrugs off Yuyake's shift in behavior. Something tells him what's wrong, probably her, so he doesn't dwell on it.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

Thank you.

Yuyake looks to the ceiling as she pulls herself from their mind. So... Naruto is still out and about with the toad sage, huh? That pervy creep... Well, as long as he is away from her mother... Sakura is still in her apprenticeship with the 5th which is to be expected. And Shikamaru talks to the pink haired girl now. He probably did so to help keep her afloat after what happened with Sasuke.

It isn't everyone, but at least she has some clue what they are all up to...

 _Click! Pulse!_

Konan's back...

Yuyake doesn't turn her head, deciding instead to peer out the side of her eyes at the woman. Konan enters, holding a plate of food in her hand and a grim look on her face.

Yuya gives the woman a quizzical gaze because she would like to know why she's receiving such mean looks. Usually, the Bokuso-chi would chalk such behavior up to the woman being the enemy, but Pein isn't like that, so Konan's distaste has to be all her own.

"It's time to eat," Konan pronounces, helping the girl sit up and avoiding those brilliant eyes. Why? because, if the child truly is a mirror, Konan didn't want to look inside it. So she is always careful to glare at a brown cheek or forehead.

Yuyake huffs, and it's the last sound to be drained from the air, leaving them in an empty silence. She eats, but absentmindedly. Her eyes are actually wandering over the woman feeding her. It was interesting to Yuyake how everyone could look so different yet all be so beautiful. Her mother was wider than most, with a body of valleys and mountains, she had an ocean of black hair and dark brown skin. To Yuyake, her mother was unbelievably beautiful, almost unfairly. Yet there's also Kurinai who is pale with lively hair and red eyes, who Yuyake, too, sees as gorgeous. Then here is Konan, with her sharp eyes and short hair, looking no less pretty. It just made the Bokuso-chi wonder.

How do you define beautiful?

Usually a definition is finite, monotonous, and specifically applied, but if so many different things can be beautiful, yet be nothing alike, could it truly have a definition? Well... she supposes it can... It just has to be something like...'everything in existence that puts you in awe'... Actually if she is to go check a dictionary, it probably is something super vague and subjective.

 _clANK!_

Yuya snapped shut her waiting mouth. Apparently she finished eating, and she hadn't noticed... Shifting to grab a few ice packs, Konan turns back to the child:

"Lay back down. I'm going to ice your joints a bit more,"

Konan places the chilled bags. As she does, she notices the child's gaze upon the wall to her left. So easily distracted, this child. Whatever, it doesn't really matter, the girl should be leaving in another week, at least that's about how long it should take for the medical ninja to arrive with Sasori and Deidara; then, she'll be out of Konan's hair.

 _Hate._

Konan crushes the ice in her hands. Even when only looking at the girls scleroses; the woman can see it. Her buried self-loathing, her fathomless guilt. It is so clear, so sharp, like glass, and it cuts her like it too. It makes the woman's eyes widen. Sunsets snap onto her amber, but Konan jumps out the Bokuso-chi's pools before she drowns.

The woman is certain she is wearing one of the most heinous scowls she could ever muster. Luckily for the child, it's aimed at the backboard.

She hates mirrors...

Yuyake almost smiles; she just thought it was funny how the experienced kunoichi couldn't see that what she saw was not her own aged anger, but the distaste the Bokuso-chi has for herself.

 **~X~**

"Here,"

Yuyake fidgets when the Masked man reaches for her hand. In his other palm is a shiny ring of silver with a dot of gold on the top. Is he crazy? No way is she putting on another ring! Never again does she want to feel pain like what happened before!

The Uchiha almost rolls his eye, "This wont allow Pein to do harm to you," He speaks as he slips the band onto her finger. "It's for you to communicate with him and the others, but you'll have to calibrate it to your frequency," he explains, watching the girl's expression turn from distress to intrigue.

It makes him smile ever so slightly; she was so easily amused.

The masked man rolls his eye down her damaged form. He had done this to her, and while she deserved it, he has to admit, he over did it a bit. He punished her because she defied him, which is well and good, but when feet are dislocated, it tends to take up to half a year to recover from, and while he had loads of things he needed to get in place, her training is kind of important.

Luckily, Deidara and Sasori should arrive in three day's time with a medical ninja to take care of her, so he supposes he has nothing to mope about...

He wonders how that Sasuke boy is coming along... If he's as promising as the masked man believes, then he should be ready to recruit in about a year from now. Give or take.

So Yuyake has to catch up on her studies, so she'll be able to keep up with the boy.

 **~X~**

One week flies by quickly, and Yuayke is recovering relatively well, her arms almost at her behest. Currently, Pein is in the room with her and Yuya is gleeful as always in his presence.

 _"So you are a corpse? "_ She projects off her ring, the little gadget is so cool!

"The form you see before you is a corpse, yes, but I, myself, am not, no," he speaks and this makes the girl frown.

 _"Do you at least look like this one?"_ she raises a black brow, twisting around to observe his body at different angles.

"No, I don't actually,"

 _"Oh... May I see you? It would be pretty cool!"_ she smiles for him, but his ever stoic eyes cause it to falter.

"I stay pretty far away from this body, and you can't walk, so no," he watches the little teen droop with a sadness he can't handle despite all the wars he's faced. Sighing, the orange haired body looks over to the empty IV. He can't believe he is actually going to cave in like this. He is a warrior of peace! But he can't resist those bright eyes being dimmed in the slightest? Pathetic! "But... perhaps when you are healed, I can convince Konan to bring you over for a visit," he returns to her.

She flares up, with such a childish glee, it makes Pein yearn for older times, but he mustn't dwell there. Returning back to the present, he gives the girl a little chuckle, and it makes her smile all the wider.

Then she falls into a sudden state of wonder, and it peaks the criminal's interest. She swarms herself with thoughts he can't guess and solutions he doesn't know if he needs. After so long, he leans forward into her cloud of ideas, and his penetration startles Yuyake.

 _"What color is your hair?"_

"Red"

 _"I'm assuming your eyes are the same?"_

"Yes,"

 _" Do you still have piercings?"_

"No,"

Well that's a bummer, at least to the tiny kunoichi. Of course the male is still cool in her book, but the piercing are just so awesome. Speaking of the metals rods, Yuyake cups her hands behind her ears with a questioning gaze to the red head. It is pretty easy to figure out what she was asking, and just as easy to answer it. Though he pauses to give her another smile.

"No, I cannot pierce your ears, Madara is your handler, and he has expressed his disagreement," he tells her, and she pouts like he expects her to. Youth, how he missed it despite its darker tinges.

Yuyake locks her fingers together to perfect an eye-twinkling face of pleading. But the criminal is never persuaded by such a tool of manipulation. Though, he does crack the slightest, not enough to give her what she wants, but he does feel bad for denying her. It's just been a while since he was presented such raw innocence.

It's refreshing.

"My apologies. Though if you can convince him, then I'd be happy to," he tells her, but it makes her pout once more.

The mute kunoichi finds this highly unfair. For Pein to be the leader, he certainly didn't hold a lot of power in the decision making. In order to see him, she has to get Konan's approval, and in order for him to pierce her ears, she needs the masked man's. Seriously, is there anything he could do without someone else? Though she supposes it is nice he is this way. He is far more democratic than she expected a leader of a terrorist organization to be.

She supposes that is nice.

Though she still wants to see him.

...

Oh!

Yuyake turns to the rinnengan user and offers her hands with a glee she isn't sure she should have, but she does. Luckily the leader is clever enough to understand the vague gesture, lowering his head into her brown palms. She cups her hands over his ears and leans forward as well, touching her forehead to his and closing her eyes.

Yuya takes a deep breath, just as uncertain about what she is doing as the other party, but she's willing to give it a shot.

She takes deep breaths and focuses on the metal in his face.

 _ **. . . !**_

The hum fills her ears, smothering all other sound that might distract her from her mission. On the surface, she does not see any reverberating sparks to signal a mind's presence, but what if she delved deeper?

She feels herself enter the realm of waves. It fills her with a sort of nostalgia as well as shock. She honestly thought she'd lost the ability to access this place, just as she has lost the ability to see reality without brainwaves.

But it's still here.

At first she's alone, and she believes it is because of the wall material around her, but this is only on the surface. She can barely see below her submerged feet that colors are existent and alive down below.

...

The simple solution is to dive, but she's never done so before.

...

What if she drowned? How would that affect her?

Would she die in the real world?

Yearning twists in her gut as she wishes to risk the death for a simple glimpse.

...

 _splash!_

She plunges, swimming fast to maximize every second, but the color is further than she expected and their distance belittles her speed and efforts. but she keeps going. She sways her body between the darkness and claws towards her goal. She feels close, even though it doesn't look it;

Then something crushes her.

It's not hard or fast, but steady and slow. It feels like a giant's hand encases her form and appears to be tightening its hold on her with every 50 feet. It's starting to flatten her body, squeezing her air from her lungs like it's savoring every drop, and it's _getting to her_.

She starts seeing large bubbles fall behind her, and she almost stops to retrieve the air, but she can't, every last second counts now.

On the bright side, she's reached the colors; they're regenerative rings of glowing bubbles, each a different color. She sees amber ones that are no doubt Konan's, as well as a set of grey-blue, odd pale brown, and purple, and they're beautiful, but she cannot stop for them.

She sees them, further down, they're red, but not like Gaara's or the masked man's, they're a different red; they feel different.

That's what she was reaching for.

But she may not reach them in time, and even if she does, there's no way she'll make it back to the top. So she continues, because there's only one real choice, she continues. She feels those deathly fingers begin to squeeze her tighter, killing her. It's already taken all of her breath, but it seems to want her bones and squishy insides, and it tries to squeeze them out of her as well.

But she's so close!

She extends a hand, and while it may half her speed, she has to reach for it.

 _PULSE!_

A glowing red bubble flares out to meet her hand, and it pops, setting off the others as well. The circles of red light pull from her, meeting together in a center she does not see, and they form something.

A person.

It's a person with red hair and rings of purple in their eyes. The body seems devastated by time, starved maybe? And there are rods of metal sticking out his back.

And he sees her too.

His eyes widen as he looks upon her, uncertain how she is able to materialize him in a realm of darkness he didn't know existed. but she does. He watches as she gives a large smile despite her the fact the pressure not felt by him is crushing her.

"...You..." he mouths the words, but no sound can be heard down here. He raises a hand to touch her, because it is obvious she isn't real, right? If he touched her, she'd vanish...right?

She raises her own hand and meets his halfway, locking her brown fingers with his while he simply gawks at the feeling it gives him. It doesn't feel like she's actually there... more like she should be there. Like he's remembering her touch despite how foreign it is to him. Suddenly, she's yanked away by some unseen force, it drags her back to the surface faster than any human can, leaving Nagato alone and stunned.

"!" Yuyake gasps as she opens her eyes and pulls herself from Pein like he was the pool she just emerged from. Coughing, she shakes her head, and the sound opens her companions' eyes as well. Just as she crumbles back onto the bed.

...

He looks down upon her drenched form. It truly looks as if she just took a swim, but he can tell from the smell that this moisture is definitely her sweat. She's coughing like crazy, but he can understand why. Almost directly after she closed her eyes, she'd stopped breathing. More accurately, she held her breath.

Then she somehow awoken his conscious in that... world...

How odd.

"How?" he asks her simply, though he's not quite expecting an answer; he's sure she's drained of chakra after that stunt, and therefore unable to talk. But why did she do that? It was so unnecessary. If she had just waited, he would have met her anyway, so why be so impatient?

Perhaps it was for her to prove she could, to herself, that is. Or maybe she was just simply impatient. Either way, one thing was for certain.

"You are reckless. Little one,"

Yuya responds with a large grin, and her sunset eyes widen a bit at the sight of Pein. She had been staring at him the whole time, but her mind was elsewhere, now that she is focused, she can see now. He no longer looked like the orange haired corpse of his friend, nor did he quite look like how she'd seen him before.

He still has the same red hair, and pale skin, but he looks... healthier. His face is full and his physique seems well taken care of. He looks like he is Konan's age now. He looks like Nagato. The real Nagato.

She wonders if this is just how she'll see him from now on.

If so, that is fine.

He shakes his head at her antics, and smiles very gently, but just as soon as his lips stretch, they contract, and he turns towards the door.

"Come in,"

Yuya jumps. Whoa, even his voice was different!

Wait, who is he talking to?

The door slides open, and three people step in. One of them is a medical ninja, if the mute has to guess, but two of them are members. These two are new to Yuyake, though the premise is the same: they're mirrors of each other. Though this time, the struggle is different, This one is artistic.

One of them is blonde with long hair that covers a mechanical eye while the other orb is grey-blue; the other is short and has curly red hair, his eyes an odd pale brown. Yuyake frowns to herself. Though their opinion doesn't matter, the kunoichi doesn't like the fact that her first meeting with these two is stained by her musky scent.

Oh well.

"We've brought the medical ninja," the blonde informs, he goes to take a look at the patient, but he's blocked when his leader moves to aid her in sitting up.

"Good, Yuyake, these are two more of our members: Deidara and Sasori," Nagato grants the subordinates visual of the girl. Though she's slightly preoccupied, watching in awe as the man's once brotherly demeanor turns dominant and fearsome.

When she finally turns her sunset gaze upon the other two members, they're already looking at her. She watches their brains pulse with blood lust, though one seems to need retribution in order to be satiated, while the other is more of a cry for help...

She focuses on the one who needs help, but the other refuses to be ignored.

"Great, just what we need, another member, and a Bokuso-chi at that, hm" the blonde spits, hiding his face in his collar and hat.

Whoa, ok, what the heck was his deal? What had Bokuso-chi done to him?

"Quit being sore, Deidara, that was over three years ago, yet you still can't get over the fact you lost," the red head speaks up, and though he looks about Yuyake's age, he speaks with more wisdom than the blonde. Which is weird since Deidara seems older than both herself and Sasori.

 _PulSe!_

Yuya makes a face.

One of them... felt weird...

Upon further observation, she deduces it is the shorter one. But why?

"What are you looking at, brat?" Sasori calls her out, and getting caught staring makes her feel a little self conscious.

"Yuyake, as you've both figured out, is a Bokuso-chi," Pein steps in from the shadows of the conversation. "A very skilled one at that; I do not put it pass her to have noticed you are a puppet, Sasori," he informs them, knowing the little girl could not. Pein gestures the medical ninja forward, and the thin male jogs over to the bedside before setting to work examining and treating her wounds.

"Tell me, do you know of Honoo Bokuso-chi," Sasori asks, and judging by the way Deidara tenses, the puppeteer is bringing it up to piss the blonde off.

Of course the question makes the small girl twitch, and her eyes refocus as they'd begun to wonder, but she doesn't answer.

...How would they react if she did know him?

She reads the room, finding the answer could only please Sasori while agitating the blonde and un-phasing the leader, so she supposed it would be fine?

After all, regardless of her answer, Nagato wouldn't just let them attack her, right? And what harm could it really do?

She is already here, away from all her friends and family, and she's already in bad shape.

So she nods, and watches as Deidara flares up in his cloak, trying desperately not to explode before the alpha.

Sasori smirks mischievously, pleased his toying with his partner could go farther, "Oh really? How are you two related? Is he your brother or uncle? Perhaps your cousin?" he tilts his head, and in response, the mute lifts up three fingers from the hand being held by the medic. He appears to be dealing with her shoulders first.

It feels nice, having the remaining ache settle in a comfy tingle, it makes her wiggle a little in content.

...

The air shifts, and the one who changes it is Deidara. He appears to be a sort of barely contained flood at this point, constantly curling and uncurling his itching fingers. Yuyake hears a sort of excited sigh coming from those palms, and she leans over a bit to see if he's hiding anything in them responsible for such a sound, and she sees... a tongue dangling?

Frowning, the girl turns her curious gaze towards Pein, ignoring the rage that is the object of her curiosity. The leader ignores her, and it kind of breaks her heart he does. He was so lively and kind a moment ago! Now he's this authoritative shell she can't talk to.

That sucks.

"Deidara, contain yourself," the corpse turns his eyes on the blonde, and, at the behest, the male does, begrudgingly.

"Please don't tell me this little twerp is our new member, hm," the extinguished flame crosses his arms, looking anywhere but at Yuyake.

"I doubt it, there would have been a meeting about it, wouldn't there, Leader?" Sasori deduces and Pein turns to look down at the girl. It appears the ninja has moved on to her feet.

"She is an asset of sorts." he tells them. Konan has mentioned her loathings of the girl, and he believes he's figure out how she can be of use to them.

"I see. Well then, if that's it, we'll be heading back out," the puppet tilts his head, but Pein denies him.

"No, I must tend to other business, but the medical ninja is almost finished. With her at full strength, she can no longer be left alone, so stay with her until I return," he glides past them, literally glides. Yuyake smiles, she envies his grace! When she's able to walk, she wants to practice fluid movements like that.

"And Deidara. No harm is to come of this girl," Nagato slides the door close behind him, leaving Yuya alone with the two strangers.

...

...

Yuyake focuses her sights ahead, staring directly at the pale blue wall while her second foot is brought back to life.

She rolls her arms around, enjoying every pop she gets and just the mobility of the limb overall.

She never thought she'd miss being able to move so much!

"And done. I apologize, lady Bokuso-chi, I was told only to handle your arms, but I could tell as soon as I entered the room that you wouldn't be able to handle your feet like I was alarmed you could," he informs, and the use of titles lets her know that he's aware of her rank some how. She nods, and he heads towards the door.

"I'm ready to go now," the medic approaches them, and the two criminal share a look. From Yuyake's perspective it seems as if they're fighting over who will escort the man out, but after so long, Deidara scoffs.

"Whatever, hn," he exists.

It is interesting how it seems that each pair of the Akastuki has one that is immature and rebellious, while the other is mischievous but mature and dominant.

Except with Pein and Konan.

Those two seem so independent in their partnership.

"You're very quiet, I like that in a brat," Sasori ventures further into the room, drawing closer to her bed and the chair Nagato left besides it. He takes a seat and relaxes into an observant pose. His features still looking like he's hiding some practical joke.

"You're here against your will, aren't you?" he asks, and it draws Yuya's eyes, but only for a second. He continues, "You don't really have to answer; I already know. You still wear you village insignia proudly, and you can't be left alone,"

Since he has it all figured out, the heiress chooses to keep her silence. Instead, she reaches for her toes, stretching out her legs with such gratitude for the absence of pain. She scoots further down the bed and hops off, doing more stretches. A large smile pulls onto her face.

She never thought she could miss standing this much!

Just as she finishes her stretching, she notices the pale brown eyes on her, watching more intently than they need to be. It makes her uncomfortable, but she ignores it. Then, while she's standing to her full height, the door opens, and Deidara rejoins them.

He heads directly towards the content kunoichi and lays a hand just about her boobies, pushing her back onto the plush mattress that has overstayed its welcome in the heiress' mind.

Sitting up, she frowns at the pushy blonde. What is his problem?

"Stay there, hm. It's easier to watch you," he smirks.

Yuyake's brow sinks further, and she hops back down, crossing her arms and raising her chin defiantly to him. He narrows his eyes down at her.

"I said sit,"

But she wont, narrowing her eyes at him. It is then she feels as if it's gotten breezy in here. In particular, around her chest. Looking down, she see that the flesh has a dot of...saliva? on it.

Where had that come from?

After a few seconds of pondering, she comes up with a hypothesis, and seizes the blonde's hand to confirm. He protests, but she's fast enough to see what she wants before he snatches away from her.

He had mouths in his hands!

That is... a little gross, and pretty confusing. How does that anatomy work? Does that mean he has throats in his arms? He would have to! The little things made audible noises. That opens up more questions. Are his mouth and the smaller ones connected to the same lungs? Does that mean he has to breath in longer and deeper to satiate each eyehole? How did that affect his bones and muscle structure?

Yuyake's posture shifts from rebellious to pure wonder and amazement as she looks Deidara up and down and back up again. The rogue ninja seems irritated by her sudden interest in him, while, Sasori is just bored of them both.

Suddenly, the chocolate kunoichi flings her arms around the blue-grey eyed man, and presses her ear to his chest; he jolts and tries shoving her off, but she locks her hands behind him.

 _"Shhhhh, I'm listening to your breathing,"_ she attempts to soothe him, and he stops rejecting her violently, not because he's soothed, but because he's confused and weirded out.

It's true! The blonde does breath deeply! If Yuyake breaths in such a way regularly, then she'd no doubt be light headed. How cool!

 _"Now closed the mouths on your hands, please,"_ she requests, and he complies, if only to get her to fuck off.

Oh! His breathing is back to normal! Incredible! She releases him and takes hold of his arm, sliding the sleeve up and poking the length of the limb with such curiosity. Then she squeezes his flesh between her hands.

 _"Open them again please?"_ He does, groaning to insure her he was still displeased by her examination. The mouths open, but don't make any sort of choking noise. So they don't need to breathe? Interesting.

Ok. she supposes she is done. She steps away from him finally, giving a wide smile that has hints of admiration in it, and it just makes Deidara scoff again.

"Whatever," he turns from her, walking towards the door in order to sit, curled up, against a wall perpendicular to it. Digging into his clay, he allows his mouths to soften and sculpt it in order to past the time. What the heck is wrong with that girl? Taking such acute interest in something that, at first, clearly disgusted her... Glancing over at her shows him she's decided to pull out a little black book to scribble on. Now what is she doing?

...

Is she... drawing?

The pattern of her pencil is too spastic and curvy for her to be writing. and every now and then, she's looking up at him.

Wait. Is she drawing him?

Yuyake smiles at the finished piece. It's just Deidara all curled up with his little clay bird flapping around him. She believes it looked very nice! And peaceful.

Sunset eyes dash to and fro Sasori once. Was he worth drawing? He hasn't shown anything interesting... Sure, when he is sitting close by, she could truly admire how attractive he is, but other than that. Oh! There is the fact he was a puppet! That was pretty cool... Though she'd have to examine him more closely in order to truly appreciate it.

She flips through all the pictures she's collected to far. She had the two chunnin from the mist that attacked her team on her first mission! A smile breaks out on her face. Then there was Zabuza and Haku, though she drew them by memory, so she's certain they're off. There's also the Masked man... She'd drawn him after a nightmare she'd had. Then there's Kakashi, and Gaara, Tsunadae and Octo-bro. Now Deidara as well! And she'd get Pein and Konan, though she'd probably have to get the latter while the woman isn't looking.

Maybe she'd get Kakkazu and Hidan... and maybe Sasori.

Setting the little sketch book down, Yuyake connects her eyes with the puppets, and starts scooting herself down towards him.

"Don't even think about it, brat," he deters her, and she huffs, sadden by his denial. Did he not know what an honour it is to be in her book!? Even her adoptive siblings aren't in it! Though, that was their fault for having poor taste in fashion.

She takes the book up again and opens to the page Deidara occupies, pointing to the blank one besides it with a pleading look.

"No"

She droops at the denial. _" But I only put cool looking people in it..."_ she attempts to appeal to his ego.

"That can't be right, you put Deidara in there," he smirks, and Yuya almost peaks over at the sculptor to see if he caught the insult. Then she remembers she's only talking to Sasori.

"Give me that, hm" Yuyake bristles when the blonde snatches her memories away from her. She reaches for it. but he keeps her at bay with a hand on her face. He uses his thumb to flicker through all the pages. "These are terrible," he criticizes, and the brown of the heiress's cheeks redden in a rage.

"True art is an explosion," he states simply, tossing the leather-encased pages across the room. Yuyake dives around him, but he takes hold of her waist, hoisting her up as he beckons his clay bird closer to the book.

"Katsu!"

 _ **PULSE!**_

 _ **. . . !**_

Yuyake wiggles away from the stunned bomber, sprinting over to her book as fast as she can and dashing away from the clay finch, sliding halfway across the room and under her bed just as the scuplture explodes.

...

The two members are dumbfounded for a moment.

...

What just happened?

"So the brat does have skill," Sasori observes. He glances down at the bed that now has a faint gold glow seeping from underneath, as well as a dull humming.

"She delayed the bomb's detonation," Deidara states.

"What is going on in here?" The door slides open to reveal Pein in all his glory.

He briefly takes note of the scorched spot close by on the ground. His ringed eyes combing over the room, but he sees not the child. It isn't possible that these two blew her up, was it?

"Where is the child?" he demands, and simultaneously, the two point towards the luminous bed.

 _clack...clack!...clacK!...claCK!..clACK!...cLACK!...CLACK!_

He pauses just besides the mattress.

"You two may leave, but, if you do not obtain the three tails in the next three weeks, return here," he instructs, and the two nod respectfully before exiting the room.

The leader sighs. Couldn't they just keep a simply child for a little while? She's extremely easy to occupy, yet somehow they managed to scare her under the bed.

"They're gone now, you may come out," he informs her, gently.

. . .

Only the humming meets his call.

"Come on, no need to hide anymore," Nagato crouches down, his red hair draping off the side of his head as he looks down at her. She's curled into herself with her back to him, lighting up the small space with her chaukra. "Yuyake," he reaches inside for her, but she shakes her head, rallying up the unshaven half of her hair.

 _"No! You're just going to take!"_ she blares in his mind, and it halts his advances.

He was going to take? What did that mean exactly?

 _"Everyone keeps taking things from me! I know I'm a terrible person, and that I don't deserve nice things anyway! But the ones who take them from me don't deserve them either! They don't have a right!"_ she tightens her hold on herself. She almost lost her sketch book. While it may not seem like much to others, it meant so much to her. Sure, she could've gotten a new book and redrawn the drawings, but it wouldn't be the same! With this one, she felt the emotions she had when she first drew the pictures. The happiness, the admiration, the excitement, the fear. It would send her back in time to when things were simpler, happier...less alone.

If she'd been forced to redraw them, then each portrait would be dirtied by the rage she felt for the blonde bomber. She'd be stuck there, in that moment of anger, and she doesn't want that.

Nagato sighs softly. Teen girls are always difficult, he had been so pleased when Konan left that state of emotional fragility behind. But here he is, dealing with it again.

Well, at least he has experience.

"Miss Bokuso-chi, I'm not going to take anything from you, and if I already have, I apologize that I can't or wont give it back, but please, come from under there," he attempts. If she denies him, then he'll have to get forceful, cause she is being a bit ridiculous.

It appears that she senses the unique quality of the offer. Her chakra fades from the naked eye before she starts squirming her way from underneath. She takes advantage of his outstretched hand and he pulls her up.

"There," he smiles for her, and she does so back, standing up before the man.

Yeah, Nagato is the coolest.


	27. Back to Work

**A/N: I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR NO UPLOADING FOR A WHILE, SO I HAVE 3 CHAPTERS UPLOADING TODAY. THIS IS (3/3) the last of the three posted! the other two are chapters 25 and 26! don't forget to check them out!**

* * *

 **Previously**

It appears that she senses the unique quality of the offer. Her chakra fades from the naked eye before she starts squirming her way from underneath. She takes advantage of his outstretched hand, and he pulls her up.

"There," he smiles for her, and she does so back, standing up before the man.

Yeah, Nagato is the coolest.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 27: Back to work**

Konan preps a meal for the leaf brat.

Sorry, _consultant_.

This would be the last time she'd have to do such a thing for the next forever, hopefully. The child was leaving today. She was healed and back at full strength.

lifting the tray of food by its handles, Konan makes her way to the girl's room. When she gets there, Nagato is standing watch over the child.

They're both sitting in silence; Yuyake tracing the scars on her arms, a thoughtful look upon her face, and Pein is just being.

The amber eyed woman also notices that Madara is here, pushed into a corner with his arms and legs crossed.

"There you are," The masked man acknowledges her, but she's abstinent in doing the same, deciding instead to place the tray in front of the small girl.

The child seems to barely notice the edibles, her mind far off in the past, or where ever stroking those blemishes takes her.

"I was just discussing with Pein the new method of attack for the Akatsuki," The Uchiha continues on, un-phased by the woman's attitude. "They are only to locate them, not collect. Not yet." He tells her.

"I have something I want them to take along when they finally approach the tailed beasts," He informs.

"Understood, I'll send word to the other members as soon as possible," Pein insures his ally.

Madara moves from his corner, choosing to occupy the space in front of his trainee. His presence dominates her attention, and beckons her out of the cloud of nostalgia she has formed around her mind, her sunset eyes focusing on his mask.

From the outside, Konan can not hear the child's words, but she assume the girl is curious of what comes next, because Madara replies, "Now, we return to continue your training," this deflates the girl into a rebellious child, and she crosses her arms and tucks away her chin to display her discontent.

"Acting this way got you here in the first place," The Uchiha warns, looming the memory of her past pain in her face. It seems to work, causing the girl to slowly unravel her limbs, but her chin stays down.

Then, Konan sees something odd.

Its not in the two she had been observing, Madara and the child. No, it's in Pein she sees it. The orange haired corpse is out of Madara's limited eye range, and beneath the teen girl's radar, and he uses his social invisibility to tighten his hands into fists upon his lap. He's squeezing so hard they tremble, almost like _he_ is the one being dragged back off with a crazed lunatic to continue being tortured. Then, the Rinnengan user seems to notice his physical showcase, and quickly tugs his disobedient hand beneath the cover of his sleeve.

How odd...

Could he...?

No... he couldn't.

There was no way he'd grown attached to the child in the few visits he paid to her.

Suddenly the Masked man takes up the small kunoichi by the cut of her arm while turning to the rest who occupied the room, "We'll be going for now," he places a hand sign just below his chin. The air around them warps, turning his eye hole into a gluttonous mouth that slurps them up, and they're gone.

Good riddance, though Konan has a feeling the solitude is temporary.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

Yuyake snatches her arm from the mask wearer, but he lets her go simultaneously, causing her strength to throw her to the ground.

She huffs, rolling onto her bum and sitting up.

The mask man looks down at the tantrum-ing teen. Honestly, that's what she got for trying to throw a fit.

"Get up," he orders reaching down to pick her up.

Once she's on her feet, the man pushes her back, causing her to stumble a couple steps.

"Come at me," He tilts his head in that way he knows messes with her mind. She was angry right? Well then she could blow it off in a little combat training. Besides, he needs to see if any of her skills have dwindle.

Without a second thought, Yuyake pounced at him, attacking with all her might. If he wanted her wrath, he'd have it! She'd shown him she hadn't gotten slower! That her punches hurt just as much as before! That she was still good at thinking 10 moves a head for several different scenarios.

But she's not.

The Uchiha steps out her way with plenty time to spare. "You've slowed down," he pricks at her restraint. Then he devours her punch with his bare palm. "As well as weaker," And when he sweeps her feet from beneath her, he sighs.

"You should have seen that coming," he palms his mask in acute disappointed. "I'm hoping it's because you're angry and not thinking, not because of a mere two week break," he states. He recaptures the girl in his sights. She's still on her back, looking more upset than before.

Yuyake pounds the ground with the sides of her fist and slaps it with the bottoms of her feet.

She really was acting like a big child...

Clearly she needed to calm herself before he could properly evaluate her.

So he leaves her, vanishing in a whirl of wind.

 _"Did that ass just leave? What a dick!"_ she shouts in her mind, now lashing out at no one as she flings herself into a sitting position.

. . .

Maybe she was being a big baby about this.

Like, it was fine that she was angry, but she didn't have to show it with such childish lashing out.

. . .

. . .

 _"Ok, I'm done now! You can come out!"_ she thinks to herself, somehow expecting the man to hear her thoughts and come forth.

...

Well now she supposed she had some free time to herself.

She wondered what Gaara was up to...

Oh wait, it's hard to reach him while she's awake and in this realm.

She'd forgotten.

And she couldn't just go to sleep cause it's daytime, and Gaara wouldn't be meditating. So she supposed she was stuck with her own company. Stretching out on her back, Yuyake lifts her arms to the blackness above her. Her sunset eyes dance over the scars that reside there, first the lightning one, then the wind.

Man she missed those two so much...

The heiress reaches into her ninja pouch and pulls out her sketchbook. Flipping open to the page with Kakashi on it, she raises the drawing above her head.

 _"There! Now it's like the whole team is here_ ," Yuyake smiles fondly. She kind of wishes she drew her mother now. It would have been nice to have her to look at as well, but she didn't. Yuyake had taken for granted her ability to see her mom everyday.

And now she couldn't see her at all.

The mute kunoichi groans, dropping her book on her face and bringing her arms to rest on either side of her head. That was such a depressing thought. Why did she think about it?

Well, for what ever reason, Yuayke knew one thing. When she got back, she'll have a new sketch book! One where it wouldn't matter what you wore, just if she met you. Heck, she might start it before she returned!

 _RwoAH!_

Yuyake turned eagerly towards the man, and he looks at her as he enters.

"Are you finished?" he asks, to which she nods enthusiastically before showing him her sketchbook and pointing at it, before holding up two fingers.

 _ **PULSE!**_

Yuyake fights hard to keep the shock off her face.

Just now, there was a sudden, brief shift in Madara's brainwaves.

At the sight of the book, the man's mind flared up in a rage so profound that the pulse of bloody sparkles turned hot. So hot that Yuyake feels their heat when they die just a foot before her.

So burning it might have baked her alive if it had reached her.

Had he just gotten angry?

No no, Had he just gotten _pissed?_

. . .

The masked man hadn't shown any physical signs of the anger. No tightly curled palms, no vibrations of rage, no narrowed eye or throaty growl.

He didn't even seem to freeze in anger! If anything, it looked as if he was trying to figure out what it was she wanted based on her gestures.

It had only been seen by looking at his brain...

Though one can train their body not to react to their emotions, but never their mind.

Brainwaves never lie.

But why? In all her time spent with him, Yuyake has never seen the man upset.

Never.

Not even when she so bluntly defied him, and he punished her. Even then he seemed more disappointed than anything. So why now?

Wait!

Yuyake had the book open to Kakashi's photo, right?

Hmm...

She'd have to think more about this later, right now, she needed him to believe that she hadn't noticed anything.

She slips her ninja wire ever so furtively between the pages as she flips through the rest of the drawing. Then she closes the whole thing and shows him the cover, lifting up her two fingers again.

"You want another book?" he figures, and she nods, a jovial smile on her face.

"No," he cuts off, and it kills her expression.

But this was really important to her! She really wanted this book!

Pouting, she asks with her eyes why she can't be indulged.

"It's not like I forgot that stunt you pulled. And since then, you've been very uncooperative. Maybe if you can behave yourself for a while I might consider it," he baits, and it tears Yuyake up on the inside.

She huffs, thinking of the pros and cons of making this deal.

She's almost certain that it would just mean acting the same way as before the whole... octobro thing. She could do that...

But what if it meant more? Like killing people or something else?

She didn't want to do that...

She looks up at him, dragging her finger across her neck with a quizzical gaze. In response, he shakes his head.

"No, you wont have to kill anyone, or hurt anyone for that matter," he lays her worse worries to rest.

Well.. if it just meant being more obedient in her training, she could do that... she wanted to get stronger anyway... so she could kick his butt!

And like mentioned before, the sketchbook was very important to her.

She releases a sigh to calm her nerves. With a nod, she stands to her feet and walks over to him. Extending her hand, she offers him to shake on it, and he does.

"When I tell you to do something, you do it, understood?" he looks down at her, his sharingan undeniable in its eye contact.

Another nod.

She really hoped she wouldn't regret this.

"Good, now get ready to spar,"

 **~X~**

Yuyake laid curled up. If she had to guess, it was night time, and the masked man was gone.

She unravels around her sketchbook, and flips it open to the page her wire bookmarked.

She's right! It is Kakashi's picture that riled him up like that!

She doesn't understand... what does that matter?

Wait...

Did he.. know Kakashi?

If he did, it is clear he hates the one eyed man...

Huh, now that Yuyake thinks about, the masked man has one sharingan eye, just like Kakashi...

The masked man has his eye on his right... and Kakashi had his one his left.

Yuyake jolts. Was it possible that Kakashi stole the man's eye? Is that why the Uchiha hated the man so much! But... if that is so, that would mean that the masked man isn't Madara.

Certainly Kakashi would be known for taking the left eye of the mighty Madara. Though the heiress would have noticed the Uchiha was lying when he introduced himself as frightening legend...

Sunset eyes widen.

 _"No... I wouldn't have noticed. Because he's never introduced himself to me..._ " she remembers. Not once had the man told her who he was, and, oddly enough, she'd never asked. Not that she remembers. She assumed he was Madara because Pein and Konan called him that, and if they truly thought he was the Uchiha of legends, she wouldn't be able to pick up on their lie because they were ignorant to the truth.

To them, the lie was the truth!

 _"This makes so much sense now!"_ Yuyake sits up, but then she lays right back down, closing her eyes tight to try and force sleep upon her conscious.

She had to tell Gaara, then maybe the red head could get the news to Kakashi.

Surely her sensei knew whose eye he took.

 **~X~**

Yuyake looks around. She wondered what they're minds would generate this time.

Her mouth falls open at the sight.

The dunes are all dyed the white of a lotus flower and the trees match it perfectly with their thin, dark trunks, and bunches of milky, small petel-ed flowers. The sky was black with starry freckles and smudges of pale colors across it; the full moon present providing enough illumination to rival the sun. This was a new combination, and Yuyake takes a moment take it all in. She takes a step and notices her sandles are missing, allowing the cool grains to gush between her toes.

The feeling is unbelievably therapeutic, relaxing muscles in Yuyake that she didn't even know were tense.

So gorgeous. . .

She snaps out of it, turning about herself to find Gaara.

He couldn't be far, he never is. At the worst, they're at the very edge of each other's vision.

Squinting, Yuyake sees that this is the case, the red head male is a speck in her sight, and she grins at the sight of him.

She kicks up white sand, dashing over the shifty surface to get to the boy. The ocean's dirt tries to slow her, but she refuses to be denied her speed, especially when she finds her body's awkward sweating habits don't exist here. She nears him, and as she does, the features she likes so much begin to pronounce themselves. His blemish-less skin that shimmers beneath the moonlight, those strong shoulders with which he bares so much, and the way his cherry red hair flares out ever so subtly in their spikes.

 _TH-THUMP!_

A large smile stretches far across the kunoichi's face as she pounces,wrapping her arm around his midsection. The male doesn't fall, merely catches himself by placing a foot forward. Yuyake's form floats down to the ground, her feet being placed just behind Gaara's while she buries her face in his back.

Huh... that was odd, the male doesn't have his gord here.

Yuyake then takes a moment to realize the physics in this world is weird, but it's all thrown out her mind when she hears the slightest of chuckles in Gaara's chest. She releases him, waving gleefully, as she steps back and lets him turn around.

He has the corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly.

 _"HI!"_ she beams, her mental words just blaring about them here, despite the immobility of her mouth. She cringes at how eager she sounds just then, hoping Gaara wouldn't find her excitement too weird.

He doesn't. He nods in greeting to her as well and crosses his arms over his chest.

"It's nice to see you, Yuyake," he tells her, and she bobs her head in agreement before folding her arms behind the small of her back. She gets closer to him, raising to the tips of her toes to level their craniums, and she combines them for a second, her forehead, nose, and the very tip of her upper lip tapping against his.

 _"Boop!"_ She grins.

Gaara's eyes widen a tad when what she wishes to discuss comes flying into his head. So she has figured out the masked man's identity? Well... mostly anyway.

"I'll ask Kakashi about it, next I'm in the village," he assures her, and she nods.

...

Well, that's all she really needed to talking to him about...

Yuyake takes a seat on the sand and pats the ground beside her, inviting Gaara to cop a squat. The male does, folding his legs.

The jinguriki watches as the at girl begins pushing the sand on herself, effectively burying her feet before she moves on to her legs. He feels the need to shake his head at her antics as he places his cheek in his palm and continues to observe her.

Sea foam blue watches the brown kunoichi as she manages to cover her body all the way up to her neck, but now can't do the same with her arms. Another chuckle wishes to rise in his chest when she looks so defeated by the realization.

Gaara shifts, plucking her wrists from her delicate control and laying it flat on the white grains before scooping enough sand to cover her hand in one go. Then he pats the sand down with gentle force.

 _TH-THUMP!_

Yuyake is screaming inwardly. The magnitude of his palms versus hers gets her heart pounding, and it didn't help that the pat he gives the sand is like an indirect hold of her hand. She looks the opposite way of the male, hoping dearly her embarrassment isn't showing on her brown flesh.

She should have buried her face

When the red head male reaches over her body to place and bury her other hand, the ebony girl feels something running around in her gut.

She just hoped she wouldn't rat herself out.

"There," he returns to his place, sitting besides her. Now only her head was free. Yuyake gives a grateful smile before relaxing into the position. Gaara couldn't help but notice the way the uncut half of her hair looked like black water over the white sand. Her shaved half reading 'love' in it.

It's precision captivates him while the familiarity of it beckons him forth, his hand reaches out to cup the side of her head, his thumb tracing over the styled stubble. He's seen the symbol so often in the mirror, but rarely ever on the body of another.

It is an interesting feeling.

Especially since it is her who wears it.

Speaking of which, are those sunsets in his peripheral? His eyes glide over to match hers, and he's right. His touch has alarmed her, for obvious reasons. He takes a moment to bask in the warming rays her pupils offer and his entire form unhinges, relaxing far beyond what is possible without her presence.

He just couldn't get enough.

Wait. Him touching her so suddenly didn't freak her out, right? He'd been going for dark on the inside but sensitive on the outside, but he may have over stepped his boundaries.

Ok! He still had his head, he should just see how she's reading it.

From what he can tell she's fine, and she hasn't tried to snatch away from him, so that was good?

Emotions are so complex...

Maybe he should just let the shikkaku devour his.

Oh! He had an idea!

Taking his free hand, Gaara presses his middle and pointer to his own symbol of love.

"We match," he tells her, and the smile she gives him on those sweet chocolate lips makes his heart flutter.

She nods gleefully in agreement.

 _"We do."_


	28. The Bond Of One

**Previously:**

"We match," he tells her, and the smile she gives him on those sweet chocolate lips makes his heart flutter.

She nods gleefully in agreement.

 _"We do."_

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 28: The Bond of One**

A sigh came from the masked man.

"No, you're doing it wrong..." he pauses in his rythmatic clapping and cradles his face in failure. Why isn't she picking up on this?

Yuyake stops in her movements and huffs at the man, crossing her arms and swaying her hip. _Now_ what's wrong?

She watches the Masked man step away from his cloak, having shredded the heavy thing much earlier in the session. He walks over to her and adjusts her posture: arching her back, lifting her hips, etc.

Yuyake scrunches her face up in confusion. She was doing it exactly like the video he showed her! If anything, he's adding stuff!

The man sighs once more.

He's been teaching her this dance for a few hours now. He brought a video of it being performed, but explained that it was old, very old. He wants her to learn it how it is presented first, then throw more modern tactics of seduction into it.

Yuyake's face is burning with embarrassment. Why does she have to learn a sexy dance anyway?!

"You'll need this skill to sneak into the homes of higher profiled targets. Presenting yourself as a willing sex partner allows you to get alone more easily and helps you get their guard down much faster, it saves time," While speaking, the masked man takes her fan into his gloved hand and stands further from her being. "Now watch, I'll demonstrate what you're looking for,"

 _PFFT!_

Yuyake covers her mouth before her laughter can break through. She really does need the guidance, but seeing the fearsome male swing his hips tickles her gut every time.

Mostly because he's really good at it.

"Start the beat" he demands, already posed to start his example.

Swallowing her laughter, Yuya starts clapping at a moderate tempo.

He knocks his hips with her beat and flutters the fan about himself before he launches into his steps. His taught muscles don't distract from his fluidity, and he turns into water before her eyes.

"Notice how I drop lower then what you saw? And the accented pop I add to the hip movements?" He points out, shameless in his display of seduction. And why should he be ashamed? Because he knows the benefits of his body?

"Speed it up as well, I'm surprised you actually had the patience to maintain the sluggish tempo of the original dance," He gives subtle praise, and Yuyake would be lying if she said she didn't feel the slightest of smiles curve on her lips.

A sliver of pink smacks the mute kunoichi in the face.

"Pay attention, what's the point of me showing you something if you aren't paying attention?" He walks back over to his shattered cloak and Yuyake watches him. Sure, he's been without his signature garb for the entire training session, but she still wasn't used to it.

That cloak haunted her dreams, and torments her when she's awake, always dwelling in the paranoid peripherals of her vision. Now it lays an empty husk of clothing on the ground, proving how little power it truly held in the grand scheme of things.

In a nutshell, he is a lot less intimidating without the article.

 _CLAP!_

The sound awakens her from her thoughts. The Masked man starts the beat. Yuya closes her eyes to remember his additions and think of her own.

Then she begins.

"No"

Then she stops.

She huffs noisily and claws her hands down her face. What is the problem now! She hadn't even started yet!

"You're doing it wrong" He walks over to her, and Yuyake is losing her fucking mind! "I can see it in your eyes. You're thinking too much. If you process the movements in search for precision, you'll end up looking like a robot," he chastises.

"Close your eyes," Yuyake obeys his order, though she makes it obvious she isn't happy about it. "Now uncross your arms and straighten your posture,"he tells her, not fond of the sway of hip and folded limps she displayed. He doesn't care if she's mad that she can't figure out how to dance. She could leave that attitude at the door.

"Take a deep breath," Placing a hand upon Yuya's back, the masked man feels for the deep inflation of her lung. "Now release" the lung flattens.

"Deep breath"

"Now Release,"

"Deep breath"

"Now Release"

Yuyake looks the male in the eye-hole. He can stop now, she gets it, and she's calm. Can she move it along?

The sharingan eye peers back at her, and it understands all she intends to express, but cares not.

"Deep Breath"

"Now Release"

"Deep Breath"

"Now Release"

 _CLICK_.

Something seems to unlock in Yuyake's mind and muscles, and it's like they turn to jello. Her muscles seem to loosen and her brain begins to slosh around.

 _CLAP!_

"Now start,"

She sways her hands and hips and they become the flicks of fire. Her hair lags behind her like a trail of inky black smoke and she dances. Her figure bends and straightens, it extends and retracts, it curls and unravels. Her eyes meet the eye of her captor, and he dutifully notes the way her memorizing orbs peer alluring below half-lidded sockets. During her display she works the bandages over her mouth down and displays her lips like a prize, before shielding them with her fan. She rises and falls as if threatening to go out, but she comes back, brighter than ever with the fragrance of chocolate and sugar wafting from her being. And like a campfire she tells a story. A story of yearning. A story of non-satisfaction. A story of lust.

She wants and craves with her very being and dares any to take up her challenge.

And with that dare in place, she ends her choreography. Fan shielding her exposed cleavage and bandages back in place.

 _Pant...pant..._

She sweats from the heat she just created, and the metronome claps turn into applause.

"Well Done." He bobs his head in acceptance of her triumph, "That was better than expected," The masked man bookmarks how quickly it took her to catch on for comparisons later on.

"Take a break, I will be back," He walks elsewhere.

. . .

Yuya listens for the distinct opening and closing of his self-made portal.

...!

Yup.

There is is...

!...

And there it goes...

She is now alone...

...Neat!

Yuyake stretches her muscles. Pulling her arm behind her head, she steadies her heart beat.

Should she nap?

Nah... If the mask man saw her slacking like that, then he'd wake her up with more combat training; and she was kinda liking the break from it...

She does, however, wish she could do some secret training with her special skill, but she can't do that here. The Masked Man stated that its affects on this world are unclear to him and may even lead to them both being trapped here.

She gets to her feet. What could she improve on by herself?

That is actually a harder question than she would like it to be. Mostly because he seems to be focusing on everything... They do flexibility training often- Yuya can fit both her legs behind her head now! -They, of course, do physical training, Her abs are rock hard after holding all those vertical planks with no support; Her boobs did try to smother her at first, but now those, too, are firm and perky and apparently defy gravity.

She is the fastest she's ever been, the stealthiest she's ever been. She knows more ways to gather information from over 15 meters away than she knew how to say 'hi' in different dialects, and she knows a lot of dialects from her heiress studies...

She's even become way better at her chakra control.

She really can't fault the training. At one point she thought he was teaching her to a stealth master, focusing on her speed, agility, quick thinking, but then he suddenly changed and seemed to focus on making her a hard-hitting warrior.

So now she can do both?

Yuyake wonders why other ninja don't make this progress, she then recalls those people don't have someone pushing them to a be better fighter all day, every day.

. . . .!

"You're still awake..." Madara steps onto the white concrete like material before closing off reality behind him. "Good" He walks over to an empty space.

"Well, with that taken care of, we can move on to the next skill training." He opens a small peep hole into the world and pulls a kit of materials from the rip in space. Yuyake frowns curiously at the bundle.

"Here, choose an instrument." Yuyake makes a look of incredulous.

Choose a what now?

 **~X~**

"I brought you something," Yuya sits up. What did he bring this time? Sunset eyes scroll over and bulge at the sight of the soft bunch in the man's hands.

 _" Is that a pillow and blanket?"_ She bounces her thoughts off her ring, and there's a sense of giddy glee that spreads throughout the man's brainwave signature that leaks into his voice.

"Yes, I know getting used to harsh conditions such as sleeping on rough surfaces is beneficial to a ninja," He lays out the cushy mat and fluffs the pillow before putting it down , finishing it with the plush blanket he brought. "But that doesn't mean you have to lose your appreciation for the nice things. I also know that the bed you rested in during recovery wasn't the best as you spent your time in it, in pain," A pleased sharingan eye appears in the as Yuyake examines the grounded cloud of dreams before stuffing herself inside.

A content sigh passes the mute kunoichi's lips as she systematically relaxes her muscles.

So nice!

...

..

.

The Masked man takes his sight off the child as soon as he's seated with legs crossed. That drop of Uchiha lineage scrapes over the instruments he'd brought for her to choose from. He hadn't quite expected her to chose a string instrument... but she does give the wooden piece a sense purity and delicacy, so it's a good choice.

He thought she'd be more of a wind instrument user since it will allow her to communicate with her eyes and avoid conversation for longer.

Ah well.

The tall male takes another look at Yuya, a foreign emotion forming in his chest at the sight of her pleased expression. She is so easily to pleased... look her, able to accept a gift from the man that has broken her both physically and mentally, and enjoy it to the highest degree...

Such innocence...

His unfocused eye hones back on the image that is the Bokuso-chi heiress.

...

Yuyake settles on her back for now; she definitely wont be able to sleep in this position, but it'll do for now.

"Do you truly know about the bond you share with the one tails?" he breaks the silence. And it is then that Yuyake realizes her fingers have been stroking the marked flesh of her chest. What kind of question is that? Of course she knew about the bond..

The knowledgeable male senses her words, "If you're going based off what you learned in the Bokuso-chi library, then your knowledge is incomplete; While it's true there are plenty of negative side-effects; there are just as many, if not more benefits," He starts, and the jolt in the child's shoulders lets him know he's right.

. . .

Then silence.

Yuyake presses the top of her head to the ground, looking over her forehead at the man to see what it's stopping him from continuing. He's looking at her... Is he... Is he waiting for her to get comfortable?

. . .

Maybe he is?

Yuya shifts to lay on her side, curling up a little and pulling her cover up under her neck, a satisfying chill rolling up her spine. Apparently she's right, because he continues.

"For example, You are aware that you two are able to find one other just by thinking about it, but did you know I only feed you because it makes you comfortable," He looks to the endless blackness above them.

He what now?

"The bond of One is named after the unification between the two affected by it. It is created between two with an identical mindset where something has changed one of the minds to an opposing one. Similar to how the One tails changed the jinguriki's innocent child mind that was similar to yours to the blood thirst, universal hatred that you met in chunnin exams," He crosses his arms and levels his gaze forward.

"Together they become one being that exists in two places. One is the mind, and one becomes the body," He pauses, searching for something in the air. "There have been plenty of times that it has occurred, but the only one actually recorded was the first one: Madara Uchiha and Murosakino Bokuso-chi," he states, and something jolts in Yuya that she hides well physically. Did he just subtly admit to not being Madara Uchiha?

Though it makes sense, if he carried on acting as if he is the one with the bond, she would pick up on the lie anyway...

He continues, "It was reported that Murosakino was off on a mission that ended up lasting twice as long as her rations, meanwhile Madara was in the village and his appetite doubled around when her rations ran out, yet she returned home without any signs of even the slightest malnutrition," He states. Sunset eyes widen. She didn't need to eat?

"Only the 'body' needs to eat. Similarly, only the mind needs to sleep," he continues. "The Shikkaku does not allow their jinguriki to sleep, it threatens to devour their emotions if they do, so the one tails probably hasn't really slept a day in his life. I'm certain if you asked him, he's been far more well rested since you've been sleeping," he adds.

"Together Madara Uchiha and Morisakino Bokuso-chi formed the original and unstoppable Boku-chiha combination. Able to coordinate attacks, and carry out missions without a single verbal word..." admiration spills on his words.

Looking over to the resting Kunoichi, the Masked man sees the curious look on Yuyake's face, and he tilts his head. "What's with that look? Are you wondering how I know this information?" when the girl waits for him to elaborate, He looks forward again.

"Of course, any Bokuso-chi, or Uchiha for that matter, born after the fall out of the two clans wouldn't know these things. The two clans have been angry for so long that they don't even remember why anymore," his head sways in disappointment.

"Before the Boku-chiha combo came and went the two clans shared history. The just fit. Both powerful ninja clans; The Uchiha were masterful with genjutsu, but such mind tricks don't work on the Bokuso-chi, and vice versa. To outsiders, they were unspeakably beautiful, and they helped each other advance. Any events they shared an experience in, they tracked in their history books together. However, they split the information. The Bokuso-chi were tasked with keeping the negative affects and events in their library and the Uchiha were meant to keep track of positive effects and events."

Shock is displayed on Yuya's face.

"This was to counter balance the two and to force them to rely on one another. The Bokuso-chi were naturally optimistic and needed to be grounded, while the Uchiha were normally pessimistic and needed help getting their wings flapping. And if either clan became too discouraged or encouraged, they were allowed to freely explore the other's library to set everything back right..."

That signature mask droops in thought. All that wasted potential... Who even knows what could have happened if the two had stuck together... How much could have been avoided?

"Then Murisakino died... and as the rules of the bond goes, she took Madara's sanity with her," his words sink something in Yuyake's chest; she doesn't like where this is going. It seems to only be getting darker...

"From there it got worse. Madara foresaw the Uchiha massacre, but no one believed him, and he left the clan, starting his reign of carnage and suffering. And that's were it started.

The Bokuso-chi blamed the Uchiha for Murosakino's death as the enemy's intent was to weaken Madara. And the Uchiha blamed the Bokuso-chi for the lost of their clan leader.

From there, they started driving apart, stopped spending time with each other, going in each other's libraries. After so long, the Bokuso-chi deemed the Uchiha poisonous, that they would lead to their death; Meanwhile, the Uchiha thought the Bokuso-chi were fools and that the two were stronger together, and it continued like that, both sides battling each other with only half of the story... until the hatred lasted longer than the argument,"

He finishes.

"I can tell you it was not easy to get the Bokuso-chi side of the story, but as you can tell, I do have it," He slaps on, proving his information's validity.

Standing to his feet he places a hand on his hip while looking over to the intrigued kunoichi. "There is much more I could tell you, but it is night time, so sleep for now, and we may pick this up another time."

Yuyake makes a pouting face. She wants to hear more! How can he just stop there? That's so mean...

Regardless of her mental protest, the masked man leaves her to her rest, and she huffs into the plush material of the mattress.

Well, she supposes she should sleep, for her sake and her Gara's...

 **A/N: Thanks For reading! please comment!**


	29. Companions

**A/N: AHH! SOMEONE COMMENTED AND IT FILLED ME WITH MOTIVATION!**

 **PREVIOUSLY:**

Standing to his feet he placed a hand on his hip while looking over to the intrigued kunoichi. "There is much more I could tell you, but it is night time, so sleep for now, and we may pick this up another time"

Yuyake makes a pouting face. She wanted to hear more! How could he just stop there? That's so mean...

Regardless of her mental protest, the masked man leaves her to her rest, and she huffs into the plush material of the mattress.

Well, she supposes she should sleep, for her sake and her Gara's...

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X**

 **Chapter 29: The companions**

It's been a bit since the whole cloud village thing, about half a year, and Yuyake had been outside a couple times since. Sometimes for the same reason: she keeps out growing or breaking her bras and chest wrapping. It's getting old to the masked man with an agenda and, to postpone any further visits to the outside world, he is prepared to pay more than usual for a more sturdy and adjustable solution. "Try not to run," he informs her and the girl gives her usual silent huff.

She's grown dormant in her escape attempts in favor for an obedience the captor believes is to lull him into a false sense of trust. Knowing this, the male allows the girl to remain outside even after they've purchased her garment. Despite how feign her loyalty is, if he can show her acting as he pleased is far more rewarding than going against his wishes, he might be able to forge her obedience into one of truth.

During their outing, she, of course, wants to get her hair done again as her genes make it grow back so fast. She continues to change the design, though it's always a reference to her team, but as of recent, she's remain monotonous. Now she always gets the character for '7' and the character for 'Love'.

When it's finished he treats her with some sweets because he's kept her on a strict dieting regime since the beginning. She's more than pleased to cheat, and she devours her meal. Nothing interesting happens until they are about to leave. They exit the lands and head for a more remote area.

On the way, Rouge ninja zip past after a blur of of gold. When they past, the Bokuso-chi and Uchiha are frozen in contemplation. The taller being's neck is twisted to stare after the scene, and there's quiet.

"Go help,"

The girl's shoulders jerk. Say what now? Her head turns to focus her hearing on his words. She must've misheard. "Go, help the situation, I'll keep watch from afar," he speaks once more as his physical form is swallowed by the closed mouth of the earth. Wow... he really means it.

It's not like Yuyake didn't want to help, it's just that, she hadn't been expecting to be allowed to...

Oh crap! They're getting far!

Her feet bite into the dirt to fling her forward, and she's off with stamina that shocks her. Whoa she has gotten fast! A grin stretches her lips. It can be hard to gage how much she improves since she always fights the same guy and has such monotonous scenery, then when she finally fights someone new, she has to pull her punches to show her lack of wanton.

 _"Ooooh! Now I get to use some of my new strength! So exciting!"_ her thoughts are an extra kick in her step, and she pulls herself closer to the rouges' backs.

Like a butcher she descends on her choice of meat with such gratefulness for her job. She destroys the body of the three pigs before her with bloody cuts, and she damns their minds by allowing them the chance to understand how hopeless their situation is. They attempt to distract her by destroying her self proclaimed charge, but it only results in the lost of their limbs. As She picks up the frightened gold and tucks it under her protection, it's out of harms way.

She rips away their security by denying them entry to their chakra-homes and they're doomed to bang at their own doors as the wolfish-butcher converges on their inevitable life's end. It's a sadistic display, the way the girl handles the lot, almost worryingly so. Her cheek has a splat of blood and she peers down to see who she actually saved. They sure are light, a child maybe?

The bundle unravels a fluffy tail and large triangular ears to reveal its foxy lineage. It's a tiny kit! It yawns and spreads its paws to loosen joints before turning to peering up at its savior. The large blue eyes it possess along with its brilliant gold fur is a nostalgic combo, and it pangs in the girl's heart.

"Hi! Thank you for saving me!" the babe speaks to her, and she gives a welcoming smile. When her eyes reopen, the fox is astound by her as well. "Whoa! those are some wicked eyes!" he's on his hind legs with his front paws sinking slightly into her bosom.

 _bloop!_

It's a simultaneous ear flick as the girl covers the babe and tumbles away from a huge bubble that's no doubt infused with Chakra. The girl is frightened slightly, wondering exactly what the bubble technique is capable of. She comes up with a few scenario, and neither one is to be taken lightly. The pup pushes his mussel between the base of her breasts and her arms, and he peers at the contraption fondly.

"Put the kit down, and leave," a man makes himself known. It shocks the heiress when she can't help but feel his draping blue rob is exactly like her mother's, except his showed way more chest and isn't as flowy towards the bottom. His hair is a brown drape and he holds an intricate pipe.

"Mister six!" the pup in Yuyake's grasp calls and the name makes the man frown hard before charging forward. "No! Stop! She's a friend! She saved me!" and the man's advancements halt. He looks from the fox in her arms to Yuyake's face, and she attempts to exude a soothing demeanor. It appears to work when the male calms.

"I apologize... thank you, for helping him," he tells her, and she merely nods. Her approach is calm, and she tilts her head in a polite question.

"I ran into mister six on my way home! and he was ever so nice enough to protect me while I made my way home!" the golden fluff reintroduces itself into the conversation!

His statement seems to make the stranger's brow twitch, "It was more like he was lost and decided he'd follow me despite my clear request to be left alone..." the clarification forces a silent giggle from Yuya. "As a matter of fact, now that you've found someone else to watch you, I'll be leaving," with an about face he returns to the foliage he emerged from.

"What? Noo! Mister 6 come back!" the kit pounces out the kunoichi's arms, landing on the bubble wielder's head with a soft _plat!_ If he his hair wasn't flat before, it's flat now.

"Not the hair!" he peels the little creature from his scalp; his eternal patience suddenly becoming finite, but she couldn't! It was like if Naruto was Sasuke's pet!

The male jolts at the quiet joy emitting from the third party.

...

He pauses in his comedic rage. Something tugs at his gut. Is that child... sparkling?

...

Maybe it's the way the light hits her at this angle? Strengthening his back he tilts his head in his scrutiny of her glimmer. It doesn't falter; she shimmers with glee, leaned back into her euphoria with the largest smile he's every seen.

He squints suspiciously.

Who is this girl?

His instincts ramp up. Something about her is.. off.

"Thanks for looking after him. I'll take care of it from here," he insists, and he's surprised by the pang that strikes through her at the proclamation. Before he can ponder further, the little bugger pounces from his arms to Yuyake's.

"No Mister Six! She's good! Come on! Can she come hang with us?"

He looks from the bundle to her face to see the most disappointed look he has ever seen... I really doesn't trust her... But as long as he stays on guard, he should be able to keep him and the kit safe, right?

...

..

.

He sighs and nudges his head for her to follow, and he leads her into the woods for a clearing he'd been relaxing in before he caught wind that the fox babe was in trouble.

The yellow fox stands on its hind legs and plays with Yuya's face cheeks while rambling about his minor adventures with the still unnamed male. Meanwhile, Yuyake frowns in contemplative thought. She feels it, wafting off this guy, a sense of unbridled paranoia. Who hurt him? After all, someone has to have; no one is naturally this mistrusting.

Something bounds about in her heart. Is it weird that she wants to use her connection thing to find out?... No! She can't keep relying on that for basic human interactions... Though she can tell from the baby blue sparkles splashing from his cranium that he has a problem, and with how rapid they run... it happened extremely recent and that wound is wide open... His brainwaves wont even come near her... they make sure they die before they reach her, no matter how close she gets to him.

"Here," He takes a seat on the emerald grass and places his back against the bolder, and she snaps to back to reality. It's a tiny little forest clearing basking in the richest rays of light. A content sigh leaves her lips and she watches the white that bounces amongst the grass and falls from the skies from animals.

Beautiful...

She curls up against a majestically knotted tree trunk of a weeping willow. Looking up to the leaves reaching down to her, she smiles, her shoulders relaxing beyond a point she knew possible. This is it... This is what he needs. He needs a moment of normality among the chaos. He needs to know that even though it feels like everything is completely different and will never return to what they once were, that they will.

Even if he is a jinguriki...

Or at least she's assuming he is. She feels the Shikkaku chakra coursing through her calling for him... so yeah... Unfortunately she had no idea what his name is... Countries try to play it close to the vest who their jinguriki are... Even though they're easy to pick out if everyone is a freaking prick to them.

 _blebleblebleble!_

The male brings his intricate pipe to his lips and starts blowing little dancing bubbles of iridescent liquid into the air, and though he can't see it, they partner with the sparks of thought already in the air.

Taking a stick, she leans forward a bit, slightly disrupting the now napping babe,and starts doodling in the dirt. She gets engrossed in her drawing, being precise with each curve and each corner. The world simmers in the background, putting her, and her art on a different plain than everything else.

Across from her the man takes her distracted state as an opportunity to survey her. How can she relax so easily around a stranger? It must be nice to still trust so blindly.. to not have the person closest to you show you how little you really mean to them... and yet... thinking about it now he is suddenly not nearly as angry or upset as he was an hour ago... Narrowing his eyes at the girl's drawing, is this her doing? Is there someway she's stealing his emotions?

Taking a glance at the sleeping and peaceful animal in her lap, he takes a moment to calm his nerves. He is being ridiculous, the trained animal would have picked up on any funny business. Perhaps... this is just an eye in his life long storm?

...

Subconsciously, blue eyes drop down to busy brown digits. She's scraping little people into the ground but their adorable chibi like versions of a boy with spiky hair and whiskers standing on top an eager boy with a gord on his back and a symbol on his head who stood on top a grumpy and reluctant boy with a fan shape on his shirt.

Maybe she really is just some girl...

"Utitake,"

Yuyake snaps at attention.

...

Uti-what now?

"My name is Utitake, I realize I never told you my name," he tells her, and the smile she blesses him with is just that, a blessing.

Who's freaking child is this?!

 _"Yuyake is my name,"_

 _POP!_

All of the bubbles disappear simultaneously...

Yuyake giggles a little, _"Sorry, My normal isn't your normal,"_

...

He stares at her a bit longer...

Well... she isn't wrong?

So she talks in people's minds... lovely.

Yuyake falls back into her dirt art, pouring her love and emotions into chibi versions of Shikamaru, Sakura, kakashi, her mom and others,

 _Drip..!_

 _KLACKAH!_

The heiress drops her stick, and hurriedly retreats from the world around her, scaring the fox babe from her lap and gathering Utitake's attention once again as she viciously rubs at her eyes.

The hell is she doing!?

Crying in public like this!? What is wrong with her! She's a ninja! She was taught from an early age to hide her emotions! So why is she letting them spill out now!

Ugh! What the hell is wrong with her!

 _"I... sorry, I'm just fucking stupid"_

She almost growls at herself.

When she finally stops the tears, she holds her eyes closed for a while longer before reintroducing them to the world. Yuyake nearly jumps, when she sees the male sitting beside her with his back against the tree and now the little blond pup is in his lap.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who was in need of this moment of peace,"

Something in his tone. Maybe it's the familiarity he fills her with, or the common hurt from a close person they share, or maybe even the fact that neither one of them realized just how badly they needed this moment to themselves.

It's ok if she cries a little... right?

 _"_ _Hey Sick six... I'm gonna cry a little ok? I just kinda need it..." _

She warns him, cause apparently emotional teens bother some silly people, regardless of how normal it is.

"Yeah... sure kid... go ahead" he struggles to keep the words clear of the salty murk in his eyes.

Yuyake takes a deep breath, and she cries. She does the ugliest cry she's done since she was a baby, smashing her face up as she releases a quiet scream like sob. Her tears fall plentiful and fat, but she just keeps going. at her side, her companion has his hand over his eyes, but it doesn't stop the droplets from slipping from underneath nor does it hide how his mouth is clenched so tight and his lip is trapped between his teeth.

Why?

Why had this been done to them?

The tiny fox feels their intense emotions second-handly, and makes it his business to go between each one and nestle their elbows in emotional support.

 **~X~**

When Yuyake has calmed down, she feels dramatically better, ready to take on the world again with her can-do attitude!

Her sunset eyes catch the sight of the dying day and she stands to her feet, cradling the new born kit.

Utitake turns to her and pauses in his bubble blowing.

"Oh? Leaving? And you're taking the pest with you?" Utitake regards her fully.

Yuya nods, before looking from the sky to him.

"Well, Maybe we'll meet again... Yuyake," he speaks his parting words, and she smiles gently before taking off.

"Don't worry Lady So-chi! I know exactly where to go!" the kit informs her

"Do not! Let him out of your arms," Utitake yells his warning after the two.

Yuya takes his advice and allows the babe to guide her verbally without leaving the comfort of her embrace.

He tells her where to go like a living GPS. Passing over streams and short cliffs and even one tall cliff she has to walk down. It's pretty since she at least got to walk along side a waterfall. After a while, she is certain they're lost until he reassures her with a,"We're here!"

Yuyake stops in her tracks and before her is a... stone? It's tilted rectangular shape reminds her of either a tomb stone or a plaque.

On it, is a simple fox stylistically engraved and a frown winds upon her face.

Without warning, the kit pounces from her grasp into stone, curling up as if he intends to nap there. In a blinding flash that pisses Yuyake off more than it should, the stone is gone and an elegant earthy stair case entices her. The kit bounds down the steps without wonder, but Yuya is pondering her options...

the area below is clearly made of that mind-wave-blocking material, so she has no idea what she's walking into.

Hmm... well, she did find that the realm of waves allows her to by pass that, but it requires her to take the time to meditate... But why go through all that? If this is the kit's home, then she can just leave him to it!

Yeah... maybe she'd-

"What are you waiting for! Come meet master!" before she knows it, that little shit of a fox rams his adorable little head into her back with enough force to send them hurling down the stone stairs _"OH SHIT!"_ Yuya's trained instincts allow her to messily slap a step with enough strength to avoid head to stair collision as well as grab the pup responsible for this shit!

She gets enough time to see that they're heading for a thick, red fluff at the base, and she hurdles toward it back-first.

 _POF!_

She is pleased by the comfort that hits her instead of pain.

Thank Goodness...

"Naaaay, I told you t' stop jumpin' on me lil kit!" the fluff speaks, raising its fox head to regard the blond being in the mute kunoichi's arms.

"OhhH! You brought 'nother one?" she snarls. "You might want to turn back now!" she insists.

Yuyake blinks.

A what now?

Yuyake gets up from the large pelt of the red fox and turns to face her, offering the tiny fox babe whilst bowing her head.

"What's all this now?"

 _TING!_

Startled, Yuyake spits a kunai at the source entering the room, but it's immediately blocked by.. a cane?

"What the fuck? Who's this child spittin' kunai's in _ma_ house? At _ma_ face?" Yuyake takes in the silver dreaded hair and elderly form before her... He kind of has the whole wise look about him with the draping whites and purples. Even the green spouting from his head seem to gush with wisdom.

 _SQUISH!_

The kunoichi jumps again and attempts to retreat from the elderly digits smashing her cheeks. Whoa this guy is strong! Why wont he let go! And how did he move her bandages from in front of her mouth with one move?!

"Come now, if 'n you're gonna show off somethin' like that. Ya gotta at least let an ol' coot take a look behind the curtain!" the elder speaks, swatting her hands with his cane when ever she tries to fend him off.

"Come on, open up," he coaxes. Wanting the pain to stop, Brown lips part and out rolls her tongue so that he may see the 'magic' behind her kunai spitting trick.

"Ooooh! You got a weapon's summoning symbol tattooed on your tongue, clever girl..." he tilts her head side to side, noting that she also has summoning symbols on her cheeks. "All you have to do is by your tongue or cheek and you can spit weapons from you mouth," letting go of her, the man straightens his posture and nods approvingly.

"And you manage to bring the mischievous rascal there back in one piece," said golden pup pops out the crevices of Yuya's clothing to pronounce himself.

"Master!" he pounces, "I'm home!" the man allows the infant fox to cling to his chest before scuffling up to rest upon his dreads.

"I see... and you brought someone, are you supposed to be choosing them?" the guy asks the babe who yips excitedly in agreement.

"I'm assuming you're saying yes up there..." he grumbles before looking to Yuyake.

"Pronounce your words when you speak to me youngen, the old hearers aint worked since i was born," he taps his ears. the brown kunoichi's eyes widen.

she connects her brain waves to his green ones; then she explains her excitement she feels for his disability, and details her own in his head, but he just stares blankly.

"... Now look, I'm an open minded fellow, but that right there was the weirdest shit I have ever experienced," he tells her, face unbearably stoic. "I get the feeling you're a telepathic mute?" he tilts his head.

Yuyake nods.

Yeah, The teen had a feeling it would be different with him... he's never heard a voice, not even his own, so he probably doesn't 'hear' one in his head. So he just kinda thinks the concepts she 'speaks' to him.

Interesting.

"Well... I've gotten used to a lot of things in this life. What's one more? Though it's going to be annoying being the more talkative one for once" he shrugs. "Come on, let's see what you got." the old man starts to turn, but stops as soon as shock envelops the girl's face.

"What's with that look? Oh. come the fuck on, the little furry shit stain didn't even tell you why he was away from home when he clearly knew how to get back?" an aged brow of silver twitches with agitation.

A head shake.

"Ok, I'll make this quick cause I aint no long winded old fart. I'm the fox sage, but I need to pass it on soon. New foxes are not born often, but when they are they have to bring as many as possible candidates in their first 6 years of life. Yata yata- He brought you, but you aint shown me anything to impressive," he gags. he's talked too long. He hates that shit.

Gosh darn foxes not explaining things.

"You got a summon animal?" he looks to her.

a head shake.

"You want one?"

a nod

"Do you want it to be foxes?" he watches her.

An eager grin spreads upon her cheeks before giving another nod.

"Then you got a minute. May seem too long to some, and too short for others. But that's all you're getting. One minute to impress me,"

A minute?

Oh man, she got this!

With all her training, certainly something in her arsenal would peek his interest.

The fox sage picks a classic stance of hands folded on top his cane, eyes uninterested and posture unassuming.

"Go"

The Sage takes note of her incredible speed when she bounds around their surroundings to find his opening. He's pleasantly surprised by the force behind each blow she delivers, and he floods with acute admiration of her logical methods of attacking.

But the confident look in her eyes lets him know she is aware of how amazing she is, even though he can tell she has so far to go.

So he decides to show her. He hates to tear down the youth, but he had to deflate her head before she was out of reach.

"Is this really all you have? You only have 20 seconds left," he drawls, and his heart aches when she looks so disappointed. Oh dear, the child just wanted to impress him and he has to be a dick about, but it's too late to turn back down.

When she approaches him for some flashy trick he pins her beneath the dullest edge of his cane.

"Huh... 15 second and you're already pinned and disgraced," he starts. He's telling her about herself, yet he's hurting. Is this what parents mean when they say it hurts them more than it hurts the punished?

"Your attack pattern is based off logic, which makes it subsequently predictable. You have speed, but what's that if I know where you're going? You have strength, but what is that if I know where you'll strike?" he lets her up.

"Think more outside the box! Come on! You're a kid! That should be your strong suit! In order to have made it this far, you must have ended all your battles quickly," he states and Yuyake nods, cause it's true.

"Welp," he straightens his posture, leaving her on the ground as he ventures deeper into the jewel freckled cave. "I'm feeling generous, so bring your ass, let's start the training," he grumbles.

A beam of excitement enters Yuya's eyes as she hops up and sprints after Fox sage.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! feel free to comment!**


	30. What We Remember

**A/N: HI HI! I'VE DECIDED TO INTER-MINGLE YORU'S(THE MOM)STORY IN WITH YUYAKE. SO THOSE BITS WILL BE ADDED INTO THIS STORY WHERE THEY ENHANCE THE TEXT.**

 **YORU AND KAKASHI'S STORY "THE HEART OF A MOTHER" WILL BE TURNED INTO A ONE SHOT THAT DETAILS THE BEGINNING OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP.**

 **~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~**

 **Previously:**

"Think more outside the box! Come on! You're a kid! That should be your strong suit! In order to have made it this far, you must have ended all your battles quickly," he states and Yuyake nods, cause it's true.

"Welp," he straightens his posture, leaving her on the ground as he ventures deeper into the jewel freckled cave. "I'm feeling generous, so bring your ass, let's start the training," he grumbles.

A beam of excitement enters Yuya's eyes as she hops up and sprints after the Fox sage.

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 30: What we remember**

 _WHACK!_

Yuyake awakens, a pulsing pain in her forehead and barely contained tears in her eyes.

What? Where is she?

"Wake yo ass up," the wooden staff she hadn't noticed removes itself from her sight. Her irises snap onto the fox sage griping besides her, "I decide to teach you despite you being crap, and a few days in you start sleepin' in?"

His voice has hints of irritation, but his face wreaks of concern.

Oh right.

The fox sage...

Every time she wakes up still here, her shock is refreshed.

The Masked Man really hasn't come for her in all this time?

...

Though it's unlikely, is it possible he's lost interest?

Sitting up, Yuyake locks her fingers and presses her thumbs to her forehead. She scoffs at her reckless optimism.

Yeah. right.

"You alright?" silver dreads sway in inquiry.

Sunset eyes reopen and turn their attention to the asker. Is she alright? Why...wouldn't she be? This is the longest she's been outside in a while, and she's getting the opportunity to learn a new and amazing skill.

"You were giving off some funky chakra. It was messing with ma' senses, even my sense of touch, and I enhance that one with chakra..." he frowns a little, "What were you dreaming about youngen?"

The question sends Yuya into her memories, There she finds nothing but blurry colors and powerful emotions; Excruciating pain, Overwhelming happiness, regret, anger...

The colors on the other hand go by to fast to separate, the heiress is almost certain that most of them are merged in her what little she recalls.

She frowns at the distance cave wall.

What could it have been?

Her special skill maybe? That tends to act up when she has strong emotions...

But that would only explain how she disrupted his sense of touch... not everything else.

Turning to her current teacher, Yuyake grows the largest smile on her face, and shrugs.

 _WHACK!_

"I'm only letting it go because I've already hit you for it, now come on, it's time for you to sign your contract," he grumbles, leaving without her.

The brown skinned girl cradles her forehead. Ok... that one is going to leave a knot.

Wait.

Did he just say it's time for her to sign her contract?!

Yuya flings her bedding off her, and scuffles from its clutches, barely managing to get off the ground as she follows after him.

"Hey! Little blonde one!" the elderly vocals boom through the earthy walls, returning to him with the giddy fluff of gold.

"Hello! Is it my day?" He yips excitedly, like happiness is his default.

"Yes... finally I can call you something," the old man murmurs.

Yuyake raises a brow at their banter, the deeper they go into the hollowed out earth. They come to a designated area of lushes grass all flattened in circular patterns.A heavenly light bathes a statue of a fox that stands tall with a necklace of silver chain and Large Onyx orbs. Yuyake frowns at the familiarity of the jewelry.

Doesn't...?

Sunset orbs glance at the neck wear on her master.

Yeah, he has one identical, except it's no where as big.

Yuyake follows the man and fox babe to the statue's feet where the sage summons a shroud of smoke to beguile the girl's sight and when it's clear her has a large scroll set upon the slanted slab before them.

"Well? Come closer, you can't do anything from that far," he beckons her with his motions.

Stepping closer, a chocolate finger glides through the air, helping its owner count and read the names of those before her. She feels her chest swell with pride, soon she'll be joining this list of amazing ninja!

She just hopes she'll be able to live up to their greatness.

!

Yuyake's eyes widen.

The most recent name is dried in dark red reading _"Toshiro; Akane,"_

Is her sister a rox sage!?

She points frantically at the signature, and the man notices, "Akane is your sister?" he barely stifles a chuckle, "You're related to a sassy hunk of red fur?" and Yuyake raises her brows. He continues: "Akane is my companion, she's that lazy clump on fur you landed on when you first got here! Though I'll admit that she's be scare since you've been here,"

Ooooh.

Yuyake nods understandingly.

"Ok, you'll need to sign your name as well as the name of your companion," he looks to the fox babe on his shoulder. Oh! Something clicks in the kunoichi's mind. The blonde pup is her companion because he brought her in, right?

But what is his name?

"It's a silly bonding ritual of the Fox sage that the incoming one names the new kits," he rolls emerald green eyes.

Oh... So she chooses a name for him! The bundle of happiness pounces to her shoulder, taking a seat and curling the fluff of his tail around her neck like a scarf. She makes her way to the scroll, pulling down her head band to bite into the flesh of her thumb. She scribes her name before adding her munchkin's to it. Said fox pulses with anticipation, ever so excited for his assignment! No more 'blonde one' or 'little guy' or 'little shit' but an actual name!

Ok, he's getting ahead of himself, name or no name he'll always be the master's 'little shit'.

He perks when his new name appears upon the page.

"Naru?" Her elder speaks behind her. Black hair bounces with her excited nod.

"Naru! My name is Naru!"

Yuyake smiles, she'll mostly call him Ru-ru or na-na, though. With his yellow fur and blue eyes, how could she not name him after the infamous Naruto Uzumaki?

"Alright! Now we can start with the summoning training. Just so you know, Colors do mean something," he hints to her.

"Try summoning that lazy bum of a companion of mine," he nudges for her to continue.

Yuya tilts her head to express her confusion.

How exactly does she do that?

The heiress has always wondered how summoners are able to pick which helper comes forth...

Rolling emerald eyes, the slouched male takes a seat on the leveled ground, "First, what you need to do is... the hell is that?" wrinkled eyes squint in the distance. Is that... something coming out of the ground? It's jagged and black... Not it's rounded and orange?

"HOLY SHIT IT'S A PERSON!" _thud!_ Yuyake rushes over to the elderly man. Did he hit his head? Cause it looks like he's hit his head!

"ouch," she knew it! He hit his head! She should heal him! taking a gentle grasp on the injured cranium, Yuyake starts to focus.

That is, until a sparkle of bloody red passes in her peripherals.

Snapping her gaze up, sunsets lock unto a single red and black.

!

She jumps to her feet, dropping her master's head back on the ground.

"Got damnit! It hurt the first time, but it's a real bitch the second," Toshiro lifts his throbbing skull.

"Yuyake, it's time to go," the deep octaves boom. On her shoulder, Naru takes up a stance of attack, turning down his snout in an acute growl.

"You know this dramatic youngen?" _POOF!_ The fox sage beckons forth a green tinted fox.

"Oh no! The boss is hurt!" the pup gets on his hind legs, nudging the softness of her fur. A green glow erupts between them.

"Hey! mute child! What's going on with this?"

Yuya smiles apologetically at the sage, before glaring at her keeper. What is wrong with the Uchiha!? Scaring the old man like that!

"Don't look at me like that. I didn't expect Toushiro Haruno to still be the fox sage... I thought he would have passed it on and kicked the bucket by now," the masked man shrugs defensively. How was he suppose to know?

Yuyake's eyes widen at the surname.

Did he just say Haruno?

As in... Sakura Haruno?

Sunsets narrow, pronouncing their disbelief.

No... No way, clearly it's another coincidence like the Akane thing?

A curious tilt speaks to the Akatsuki member's interest in the girl's thoughts.

"It's not a coincidence. It rarely ever is," he confirms the theory she denies. "He's actually legendary. They simply don't teach about him because he humiliated the Leaf village with his betrayal," The black clad male makes his way to stand by his pupil.

 _Swoosh!_

Toushiro swipes the meat of his cane at the intruder, but it phases through his flesh as if he has none, but the fox sag doesn't miss a beat, "Don't be talkin about me like I'm not here! Yes I'm a Haruno! Yes I 'betrayed' the leaf village, and damn straight I humiliated them when I did it! It's call style, youngster!" the elder grumbles something else about today's younger generation.

"Those Bastards they call 'Elders' have too much wrinkled skin in their eyes to see when one of their own is corrupt and has too much power... All I did was show them a little bit of the Haruno Spirit," he crosses his arms.

The masked man barely lowers his voice in secrecy, "He dyed the hair of everyone in Root the signature pink of the Haruno," Yuya's eyes widen, he did what?! "The success was a mockery of the Leaf's most elite forces,"The masked man seems to be grinning in his silence. The kunoichi can just hear the kiddish excitement and... adoration?

Something blossoms in the child's heart, and it lives off the radiant aura the Uchiha exudes until it's a vibrant smile upon covered brown lips.

He's happy!

"Yeah yeah, Toushiro Haruno greatest prankster of Konoha history. They banished me afterwards and forbade my children from being ninja," emerald eyes roll as their owner dismisses the green fox.

"Your children, yes, and even your children's children, but your Great granddaughter was allowed to enter the academy," The Masked man's jovial air hasn't faltered yet, and it makes Yuya fade giddily into the background. She's never seen him happy! it's so nice!

"So what? She probably doesn't even know I existed," he shrugs, "Can we stop talking about a dirty has-been? Are you this child's teacher?" Yuyake watches the man beside her puff out his chest as he preps to answer, but the Fox sage takes a pin to him, deflating his pride,"Because she sucks ass,"

The man jolts back. Did this old mother fucka just insult not only his training skills but his pupil?

Oh hell no.

"Excuse you?"

His tone is even, but Toushiro's mouth turns up in the corner anyway. A protective one is he?

"Yeah, pretty badly, I'm only training her because it's clear she needs the help in battle," the Haruno is nonchalant in his disrespect, and the rage surrounding the man may not be visible to the eye, but all present feel it.

"Yuyake is actually the heiress to the Bokuso-chi clan, she has been training nonstop for the past 3 year. She's accomplished the rare feat of developing a Bokuso-chi skill, she's built of 180 pounds of pure muscle, can reach speeds that would make you dizzy, and has the chakra reserves of a tailed beast," The masked man's Sharigan eye makes itself known.

"Yeah, but she fought using all her brain and none of her instincts, don't worry I fixed her," The fox sage cops a squat on a ledge by the statue. "But it took some time, so we're only now getting to the summoning stuff," the master explains.

"Go ahead, test her"

Yuyake takes the still agitated Naru down from her shoulders, and calms him in her arms.

"No, need," the masked man turns his attention to the heiress for the first time in a while, "I'll leave you for a while longer, but I'll give you this," He reaches into the folds of his fabrics and procures a black book adorn with a stylized red cloud on it. Something comes to life in the dark skinned child as she takes the sleek-bound material into her harden palms.

Her Sketchbook!

She smashes the pristine book against her ample breast, too excited in her moment to think about how she's damaging it.

Oh! But now she wont get to draw Utitake!

Boo...

"What's that Miss Master?" Naru bounds about on the ground, wondering what has taken his place as her cuddle buddy. Yuyake lifts a finger to ask for his patience and stillness, and he grants it to her. She whips out a pencil and takes to sculpting the scratches of graphite into an image of the fox's likeness.

As she works, both her masters observe her, the older one is in a state of amused admiration, while the other is in a silence pleased by her grateful nature.

The masked man turns his sight on the Haruno, taking in the grin he has upon his lips. Huh, despite the shit he talked earlier, The Fox sage seems to be under that spell Yuyake casts upon others. Captivated by that light she shines.

He himself has seen how blinding she is, she completely erases the negative ambitions of even the harden criminals of his organization, just from the few glimpses at her.

Done!

Yuyake turns the book to face her model, and little Naru yips at his black and white twin on the page before him.

"Is that me? That's me! Master! Master! Does it look like me? Huh? Huh? Scary sky! Does it look like me!?" he pounces between the Sage and the Uchiha, asking for their opinions with such glee, and it warms Yuya's heart.

Aww.

She turns to the Fox sage while she flips to the next page, and sets to scribbling his image as well.

The Sage perks at the attention. Whoa now, she isn't drawing him now is she? But he hasn't had the time to dread his most recent new growth! And what about all his wrinkles? And! And! He just isn't ready.

"Hey wait now! Don't you go drawing me while i'm a bumbling un-kept turd!" he demands, but it only quickens the strokes of the artist, a devilish twinkle in her eyes.

"Stop that now!" But she doesn't! Damnit... What to do? What to do?!

"Transform!" _Poof!_

When the cloud clears A light blush crawls over brown cheeks.

"I'm ready!"

Oh her goodness... That voice!

Before her stands what Yuayke can only assume to be a younger version of her Master. His hunch and wrinkles are gone, leaving only flawless pale flesh behind and broad shoulders. That mole just below his eye looks more like the beauty-mark it is than the age blimish she thought it was. She can even see the resemblance he shares with Sakura in the palest of pinks in his hair and that acute jawline!

And. That. Voice.

"Oh dear... I think you broke her," The Akatsuki member folds his arms, barely managing to stifle a chuckle.

"Yeah, I had that affect on people when I was this age,"

 _Poof!_

"Aw Shit,"

and like that, it's gone, and Yuyake snaps out of it, shoving herself back into her speed drawing.

"You fucking suck, Hey! Nameless Uchiha! Come take this little shit with you!" the old coot demands when Yuya shows him the final product.

"What is your name anyway?" the Sage dares, and the question lodges in Yuya's throat, choking up her silent giggles as she looks to her captor for his answer.

What would he say? Would he lie? Or...?

The Uchiha lineage announces itself within the eye-hole.

"My Name is Madara Uchiha," he booms, and something in Yuyake slumps. So a lie is it?

"Nice try. I've seen that crazy motha Fucka. He seemed to have a thing for keeping his mane, though I can't really blame him, Plus his ass is older than me" The Haruno Legend mutters the one part. "Now come on, out with it, what's your real name?" he beckons forward the truth, and it makes the scrutinized one shrugs.

 _Th **-THUMP!**_

"Good Catch, my name is Obito Uchiha,"

 _PULSE!_

Sunset eyes widen when his murderous red... dies down?

Did... Did his brainwaves just change colors?

The truth of his statement ripples through his mindset, setting off more chain reactions that the girl didn't think possible. Up until this point his mind has been so on one track, going on one route, but it's like something has shifted the rails. Now his red doesn't remind her of the blood of many but instead of the most gorgeous roses in existence. They blossom about him, their peddles dancing with his sparks to tell his story and she sees it. The unfathomable pain that rocks his very sanity, the identity he took on because he could no longer handle what came with his own.

The lost of his one true love, and the betrayal he feels from his best friend.

And she notices something else.

Just how much they remind her of Kakashi's own signature. . .

A flabbergasted hand clutches a chest that aches from all the rough beating of a heart, and the owner nearly crumbles to their knees under the weight of his story and all that it entails.

. . .

Why did he say that?

Obito's hands barely twitch, fighting hard to conceal his guilt.

Why did that just come out his mouth? What made him think it was good to trust, of all people, his captive and a forgotten Legend?

What if this ruined everything?! What if! What if! What if nothing goes right now? Then he wont be able to see-...

No. . .

No.

He reigns himself back in, picking up all his emotions from the air and finding his leaks to patch them up.

It's just a name.

Nothing more.

Nothing changes.

"Ah.. I see, I wonder why you use that name... I wonder if you have anything to do with the guy, now that I wouldn't be that surprised about," The un-phased Toushiro rubs at the stubble of his chin.

 _CLAP!_

"Alright, back to training," Obito nods in agreement, "I'll leave her to you," he turns to depart, But Yuyake dives for his clothing before it becomes intangible, and he looks back at her.

His silence questions her, and she gives a goofy grin.

 _"Stay?"_ Her eyes beg, and the little flutter of her lashes is just too much.

His being is yelling at him to leave, clearly something here isn't right, there has to be something in the air or a genjutsu in play that's setting off this chain of bad choices off. If he leaves, he'll be able to clear it from his mind, maybe think of a cover to tell the child or something.

He needs to go.

 _Th- **Thump!**_

"Fine," He accepts, he's without anything pressing at the moment anyway, he might as well copy the Fox Sage's technique with his Sharingan so that he may further Yuyake's training after they leave.

What is he doing? Why is he staying? Are they doing something to him?

Maybe the air is drugged? But he should have notice, would he not? And how can such an airborne threat leave those before him unaltered? He needs to take back his words, make of a lie to leave these two.

 _TH- **THUMP!**_

He turns to Toushiro for his approval, and the man simply shrugs. What does he care if the Uchiha sticks around.

"Now get yo slackin' ass back over here and learn what an ol' coot has to teach you!"

Yuyake flashes a peace sign and smiles before heading over to her summoning teacher.

 _DUH!_

Akane shakes the ground beneath her with her harsh landing, and Yuya looks up. Has she been on top the statue this whole time?

"You're getting soft old man! First you take on this girl, who is clearly bad news, then she proves she can't be trusted by leading more outsiders here! Yet you still proceed to teach her!?" She keeps low to the ground, growling at Obito.

The kunoichi's eyes sparkle and she slides up behind the angered fluff of red fur. Brown arms encase the girth of the summon animal's neck.

"Hey! Heeeey! What are you doing?!" she shifts her weight, attempting to scoot out of it by raising her bum, curving her back, and pushing at the ground in front of her with her paws. "Let go of me! I'm not a pet to be fond over!"

Yuyake simply follows her retreating form, _" I was worried! Where have you been? Toushiro says you'd be fine but still!"_

Akane huffs through her nose.

This kid...

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, ok? You can let me go," She takes a seat in her captivity.

 _Whack!_

Yuyake makes an inaudible scream as she clutches her head.

"You interrupt this training one more time-!" the Haruno dares.

Yuyake scurries back to her place where he explains the rules of summoning.

"Now, you were wondering earlier how you summon a specific fox to your aid. The answer is that it's based off chakra and intent," he tells her. "If you wanna kick ass, you'll usually get your companion, or a previous Sage's companion that is the same color," He looks to Naru upon her shoulder. "In your case you'll probably get yellows and blues. Because you're a lightning style, aren't you? just like Akane is red and I'm primarily a fire style,"

Yuyake blinks dumbfounded and shakes her head.

She's not a lightning style, or a water style, if that's what he meant by blue...

Emeralds bulge, "What do you mean you're not a lightning type! That little blonde shit of yours is for a lightning type and he chose yo dumbass!" He elder procures a sliver of chakra paper and approaches, and the looming Obito chuckles quietly to himself.

"I would have expected a previous member of Leaf village to know the oddity of the Bokuso-chi," the younger man teases.

"Shut ya mouth!" Toushiro is tired of the man's shit. He don't need a youngster telling him shit!

Rolling his eye, Obito focuses back on the two as the sheepish heiress accepts the sliver of papyrus in her brown digits. Some part of him comes to life, a part of him that wants to be right and say 'I told you so' and that part of him presses words to the back of his sealed lips; it raises his voice above his usual choice of octaves and makes him speak when he usually wouldn't:

"It's just going to disappear, Bokuso-chi don't have a chakra type,"

"Oh fuck I forgot," the old man mutters, "Weird eyes, weird chakra, weird jutsu, and weird way of speaking. What isn't weird about those Boku-motha fuckas?" he turns his back, "Nevermind, let's get back to the the-"

 _CRKH!_

All are silent.

Both masters turn to pupil to find the paper stiffened and crinkled. The paper has lost its color and light passes through it.

. . .

"The Shikakku," Obito speaks.

 **~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~xx~x~x~x~x**

 **A/N: Bokuso-chi don't have a chakra type! So they can't usually preform element based ninjutsu!... and WhaaaaA? Sakura has legendary relatives?**


End file.
